Even Love Has a Recipe
by dangerzonedandy
Summary: AU-Once a student with a promising future in literature, Rachel Roth is a cook at a local chain restaurant after familial tragedy and a crushing end to an engagement. She lives her life apprehensive about letting people get close to her, keeping mostly to herself other than her three roommates. Garfield Logan, a new trainee, is about to change all of that. little OOC
1. Pre-heat Oven

Rachel walked into the side door of the restaurant she worked at and checked the time. _3:45PM_ , she was early, as usual, but liked to set up her station for her usually busy shift. The morning cooks were casually chatting with each other, paying no mind to the mess or poorly stocked areas they'd worked in all morning. Giving her a head nod to say hello, they went to work cleaning up and restocking while she punched in and put on her chef coat. Rachel loved working in kitchens, their fast pace and the fact that she always had a way to stay busy meant she could keep to herself without having to socialize with her coworkers beyond what was necessary for her job. Its not that she disliked them, she just had a hard time trusting anyone to get close to her. Her roommate, Kori and their two friends Victor and Richard being the only ones she comfortably let in, though she still remained guarded. What she loved most is they gave her space and on occasion pulled her out of the safety of her room to join them in various activities.

She was finishing up with restocking the steaks for her station when she heard the manager office door open and a young man walked out speaking animatedly with the manager. "So today you'll be shadowing Rachel since you'll be working her station on her days off and the mornings. Oh, Rachel, good to see you early. This is Garfield; you'll be training him today." The manager informed her and walked away, Garfield, a medium height blond man with a goatee and green eyes smiled widely at her and stuck his hand out to shake hers. "Good to meet you, Rachel was it? I'll be watching you today; I've worked here before so I'm kind of familiar but need to learn the new dishes. I hear you're the best here." His toothy grin and brightly shining eyes were warm and Rachel noticed a tattoo on his left arm that said _Jump City_ in loopy script. She took his hand and met his eyes "Nice to meet you," she said flatly "for now we're slow so I'll use this time to show you how to prepare all the meats and the plate presentation. Once it speeds up you'll need to move out of my way and just get sides and plates ready. Do you know how to use the computer? If so don't clear anything until you have my OK or I'll lose my place." He nodded in agreement and started wrapping his apron around his narrow waist, while walking to wash his hands. Rachel washed her and replaced her gloves. "Let's begin"

She showed him more dishes in the short two hours before their dinner rush than he'd ever remembered preparing from his previous bout of employment. She was efficient and organized, showing him how to avoid losing track of what he was cooking and even a few tips on how to prepare steaks faster should they need to be re-made. He was impressed to find that of all the other cooks on her shift, she was the only one who rarely needed or accepted any help. He watched her lay steaks on the grill with the utmost care and saw how every one of her dishes came out near perfect, though she admitted that beyond grilling, she didn't cook very well. She instructed him on how to keep the station clean and free from dangerous obstructions and he took extra care to help her keep it clean. He was most impressed at how she moved, quick and elegant, she was a true pro. As the day progressed, she never lost her calm, even as she cleaned the sweat from her brow in a sink; she still looked calm and composed.

As the night progressed, and the drinking crowd got hungry, she was quick to both handle her dishes and help the other stations catch up, he got tired watching her. As the shift came to a close, and they were cleaning up he noticed how the other cooks would chat with a few of the waitresses and bartenders, but not Rachel. She was busy with her cleaning duties and helping clear out some of the dishes. She walked over and asked him to follow her. They walked into a large walk in cooler, then further into the freezer. They gathered and prepped to restock, Garfield taking advantage of the down time to converse.

"So, how long have you been cooking for?" she was opening a package of steaks and placing them into a pan

"Since I was 16, but I've been here about a month"

"Dude, only a month?! I would have thought at least a year." His jaw hung open and she only glanced at him and shrugged

"It's not hard to learn as long as you know how to work in a fast paced kitchen."

"Still, it's impressive." He smiled at her and she only nodded and mumbled "Thanks."

After restocking and closing up the kitchen, she walked him through cleaning their area and gave him a crash course on how to make sure everything needed to be deep cleaned. The other cooks, taking full advantage of the fact there were two people already on closing, left for the day.

"We are all expected to clean out our stations, but don't rely on that, check their stations to make sure they're stocked and cleaned properly, like how we did on ours. True to her word, more cleaning needed to be done. After they finished, she sent a quick text to someone then went on to clean the remaining dishes before they scrubbed floors.

"Do they always do that? Leave messes in their stations I mean." He asked, grumbling at the mess in a microwave that required extra elbow grease to clean out.

"Not always, Vic, the guy in the fry section, is usually pretty good about cleaning, as long as he doesn't have a lady waiting for him after work. Garth, who was the guy in the middle section, is fairly lazy and won't help clean if he can skip out, just keep a heads up on that."

"They sure left a ton of stuff for you to do." Still grumbling, he felt some pity for her realizing this must not have been the first time.

"Its ok, Vic doesn't normally do this, and Garth isn't normally a closer. Let's finish up so we can get out of here."

As if on cue, a tall red-haired women burst into the kitchen. Her name tag displayed "Kori" with little hearts at the end.

"Rachel, friend, are we staying for a 'nightcap' as Richard calls it?" the pleading in her voice obvious.

"Couldn't we just have one at home? I'm kind of tired today."

"But dear friend, we do not have the necessary ingredients for the beverage I wish to have." She pouted, nearly whining at Rachel. "Oh hello, are you the new cook?" she looked at Garfield who smiled back at her and said "Sure thing, I'll be working with you guys from now on. Name's Garfield but you can call me Gar"

Her smile grew and she squealed with delight. "Excellent, you may call me Kori, would you care to join Rachel and me for our nightcap?"

He shook his head and said "Sorry, I can't, my girlfriend would kill me if she heard I stayed late to drink with two lovely ladies, maybe another time?"

"Oh very well, you must bring her for us to meet."

Rachel only sighed "Fine Kori, just one, we have to work tomorrow and we still need to drive home."

"Wonderful! I will inform the bartender of our beverage order so they are ready when we clock out." She nearly skipped over to the punch clock and clocked out, taking keys from the drawer below and heading outside.

"She's bubbly" Garfield chuckled

Again Raven sighed "She certainly is lively but don't let her appearance fool you, she's stronger than she looks." She finished with a small smile as Kori walked back in and brought the keys to Rachel. "Here you go, I just wanted to place my apron and name tag in your car."

"Ok, did you make sure to lock it when you were done?"

"Of course! I only forgot once." She bounced away to the main dining area, which was empty except for the employees who were cleaning up and winding down from their shift.

"You two carpool?" he asked

"Little nosy aren't you? Yes, we're roommates, and since she's still working on her citizenship, she doesn't have a license yet." She mopped up the last remnants of water from their floor scrub and motioned for him to help her with the last locking up. When they clocked out, the kitchen looked nothing like it did when he came in. The stainless steel gleamed in the light and the floors were so clean his shoes squeaked as he walked. He looked around taking pride at the work they'd done and was impressed at how quickly they completed it.

"Certainly feels good to see a job well done, doesn't it?" she said quietly, startling Garfield from his thoughts, it was as if she could read exactly what he was thinking.

"It does, we did good work today if I say so myself." He smiled at her and she lifted an eyebrow, a small smile making its way to her lips.

"We did good work on your first day, tomorrow will be harder, it's Friday, and people are getting paid and want a nice dinner and cold drink after a long week. I hope you're ready." As she finished her smile turned into a smirk and her eyes had a mysterious darkness to them. Garfield gulped as the realization of this being what she called a slow day hit him.

He smiled "I'll bring my A game" finishing with a wink.

"Good. Goodnight Garfield, you can go home now, I'm clocking out myself."

"Uh, Gar. Call me Gar." He stammered out following her to the punch clock.

"Goodnight, Gar." She walked outside, removing the buttons on her chef coat and toward a sporty car he wouldn't have ever guessed was hers. As he walked outside, he checked his phone

 _I'm here._ A text from Terra instantly brought a smile to his face, and all the aches and pains from a hard day's work faded. He glanced over at Rachel, who had since removed the coat and hat he saw her in all day to reveal long wavy dark hair that shined in the moonlight. Her T-Shirt had a band logo on it that had faded to a point he couldn't quite make out what it said. Walking to the truck Terra was in, he threw once last wave her way, gaining a nod in response as she made her way back into the restaurant.

"Who was that?" the annoyance in Terra's voice was thick and Garfield chose his words carefully as the stress returned. He leaned in for a kiss, smelling the liquor on her breath, and said "the person who trained me today." They briefly kissed and Terra only glared at the door Rachel had gone in.

"Don't get too chummy Gar, you're here to work." Garfield sighed. He loved Terra, but she had her flaws and their relationship was often rocky. Her jealousy often got the best of her and she had a wild streak that was hard to reign in.

"Of course not babe, you're the only one for me. I was just thanking her for her hard work today."

"Good." She began pulling away "By the way, I have some friends over."

Not wanted anything more than the company of his girlfriend for the evening, but wanted a fight even less, he only sighed "Great." She got mean when she was drinking with her friends.

Grabbing her drink from the bar, Rachel moved towards the booth Kori always sat in, surprised to find that Richard, Vic and Vic's nightly conquest were sitting in the booth as well.

"Hey Rae, sorry about the hasty exit, got your text, Garth sure can be useless sometimes." She only shrugged, she held no hard feelings, and whenever she was sick or needed a day off, Vic always covered her.

Richard and Kori were speaking in hushed tones, laughing occasionally at what they were talking about. Raven took a slow sip of her gin and tonic and was happy to find the bartender, though only charging her for well gin, had used Top shelf instead. She cheers the bartender and he only smiled in return.

"So listen Rae, we were thinking of going out tonight, just for a little fun. Care to join?" her decline was sitting at the tip of her tongue until she saw 3 pleading faces staring back at her. She sighed deeply "Sure, why not, after this we can drop our cars off at the house and take a cab back into town."

"Already arranged," Richard smiled at her smugly "cab will be at the house in 30 minutes" of course it was, Rachel thought. Richard was always dependable and planned ahead. They finished their drinks and met up at home, giving Rachel and Kori just enough time to change clothes and fix their hair as the cab arrived. They all piled in and Richard gave the address to the cabbie.

"So how's the newbie Rae?" Vic asked, "Think he'll work out?"

"He seems to follow directions well and learns at a decent pace. Let's see how he does when he gets comfortable and make sure he doesn't become lazy." Rachel shrugged.

"What do you think of him?" he said suggestively wagging his eyebrows.

Rachel groaned knowing what he meant, before she could answer, Kori spoke up "He has a girlfriend, though he is most friendly." Vic looked defeated and went back to sweet talking his date. Rachel only looked out the window and sighed deeply. This was going to be a long night. Her friends were always trying to set her up with someone, saying she needed to "clean the bats out of the cave" but she was content with being single. For her, relationships only meant betrayal and heart ache and she didn't want any more of that thank you very much, she was content with her privacy and independence and didn't feel she needed someone to make her happy.

Though she'd never admit it nor would she understand until later, that night, she dreamt of green eyes, blonde hair and a big toothy smile. When she awoke, she was flustered and had broken a sweat, though her dream was far from a nightmare. What she didn't know, was across town, a certain blond man woke up in a similar state, having dreamt of raven hair pale skin. He groaned into his pillow and tried to go back to sleep. Tomorrow, was going to be awkward.


	2. Gather your Utensils

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans are the property of DC comics and I am not gaining any sort of compensation for this work. This is purely a work of fiction so any similarities to situations or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.**

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thank you all so much for your support and reviews. I just wanted to point out that in kitchens; smoking, heavy drinking and drug use is common. I don't want to promote drug use, to each their own I just don't partake, so they will be drinkers and some will be smokers (sorry for anyone trying to quit) so they fit the character mold a little easier.**

 **Also, sorry Terra lovers, I don't hate her I just needed an emotional villain for beastboy and she's an easy target. She will make a couple more appearances and maybe even a reconciliation of sorts just so she doesn't seem so terrible. There's a little OOC, but I'll do my best to keep them true to character.**

 **I'm aiming for a chapter a week and I don't know how long this will be, I'm just writing as it comes to me. They will be long chapters, though if you'd like I can shorten them for more frequent updates.**

 **I welcome all reviews and constructive criticism as well as some suggestions (if you guess something I've already written, I'll let you know via PM that you're right). This is my first attempt at Fanfiction writing, and I'm using it to help me keep writing everyday so I don't break the chain.I'm doing a special early update this week since I've written so much. Without further ado, here's chapter 2!  
**

2\. Gather Your Utensils

The week went by in a flash, with only mildly awkward interactions between Garfield and Rachel. He was a good student and she an attentive teacher, often catching his mistakes as he made them to help him correct them. Garfield often tried to get her to laugh at one of his jokes or learn more about her but she proved to have a difficult shell to crack. With every question, she either ignored it completely or deflected to say something work related. He saw how relaxed she was around Vic and Kori and wondered how someone got into her good graces enough to have her chat so casually. He was intrigued by her, the less she told him, the more he wanted to know. It didn't help that Terra and him had been on the rocks for the better part of the week. Coming home from work to a house full of drunken people he didn't know had been the last straw in a day where nothing went right. Seeing Terra flirting with another guy didn't help. They'd fought that night, ending in her telling him to leave. He wasn't new to this, it happened time and time again, but the way the guy she was chatting too was looking at her made him worry about what happened after he left. She'd cheated before, always blaming him for her infidelity, and he always forgave her. They'd even gotten engaged after she nagged for nearly six months.

"That steak is beyond medium rare, you're going to have to start a new one." Rachel's voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he realized he'd overcooked the steaks on the order she'd allowed him to do alone.

"Get your head back into the kitchen, whatever is bothering you will have to wait until either the rush is done or you get out." She said with no expression on her face

It surprised Garfield that she always seemed to know what was on his mind; in fact, she seemed to know how everyone felt.

"How do you do that?" he asked, moving his steaks over to be used for the next order of well done.

"I think we're beyond me teaching you how to make a medium rare steak." She said, plating her next order and clearing it from her screen.

"No, that's not what I meant. You always seem to know what I'm thinking, how do you do it." She stopped after placing shrimp into a waiting hot pan and looked at him

"You're very expressive; your mind shows itself on your face. I'm good at reading body language to determine how someone is feeling." She tossed the shrimp in the pan and went back to her quiet self. He smiled realizing she wasn't as cold as she seemed, needing to be empathetic to be able to read body language so well. They finished the rest of the night and, as they were closing up, decided to try one more time to get her to laugh.

"Hey Rae," he started,

"Rachel." She corrected.

"Sorry, hey Rachel, I think I'm going to call in sick tomorrow."

"Are you sick?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Yeah, I have anal glaucoma." He smirked

"You have what?"

"Anal glaucoma, I just can't see my ass showing up to work tomorrow." He burst out laughing at his own joke. She looked at him confused for a moment, and then a smile crept on her face slowly. She couldn't stop the small laugh that escaped her lips.

"You're an idiot." She said between laughs. She walked away, the stern expression on her face returning.

Garfield felt proud of himself; he'd finally made her laugh. The achievement feeling warmer than he'd expected, he decided it would be his new mission to get that smile to return every day.

As time passed, she found herself increasingly comfortable around Garfield. Though Rachel would never admit it, she did find him funny, though annoying at times, and the way his eyes sparkled sent tingles up her spine. "He's attached, off limits." She frequently told herself. She chalked it up to being single for so long and ignored the way her heart panged when she saw Terra mistreat him. The months had brought them closer, though usually it was him talking about himself or Terra, but she still felt a bond to him. On occasion, he would invite her to come over to play video games and have a drink, but after seeing and hearing just how possessive was of him, she always politely declined. Her roommates would invite him over to small bar-b-ques they held and even over for the occasional drink, but he always declined, citing Terra not approving as the reason.

Time marched on and though Rachel occasionally saw Terra out without Garfield at a bar Kori liked to frequent, she couldn't bring herself to ask him about it. The only time she was torn between telling him and minding her own business was when she saw Terra kissing another man at a party she'd picked Vic up from. No matter what though, he always had kind words about Terra, talking about how much he loved her and how excited he was that they'd be starting their life together. Rachel never once mentioned her misgivings about how faithful Terra was; only nodding to Garfield when he would speak about her. Before long, she became his greatest confidant; he told her everything going on in his life, often probing Rachel about whether or not she was seeing anyone and why she never seemed to go out much.

Kori did not fail to notice their friendship, and how it seemed to blossom out of nowhere. The two were complete opposites, Rachel stern and serious, closed off from others and Garfield, a laid back jokester who wore his heart of his sleeve. She smiled seeing the warmth in Rachel's expression whenever he came in to her shift, and the way he looked at Rachel didn't go unnoticed to her as well. Though she knew Garfield had a girlfriend, she couldn't help but fantasize about the two falling in love and having a passionate love affair. Her hopes finally got the better of her when she noticed Garfield giving Rachel a hug and surviving with nothing more than a chiding.

"Hey uh, don't do that ok? I'm not comfortable with my personal space being invaded and I really don't like being touched." Rachel said, flustered and blushing.

"Oh, hush, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, it's just a natural thing I do for my friends." He was equally flustered and also blushing.

"Its ok, you didn't know, just, a heads up for the next time you feel like you need to hug someone, Kori gives great hugs." She said with a small smile, Garfield returning the smile with his own toothy grin.

"No way, she's going to break my ribs." He laughed

"Only if you're a wimp." Her expression giving nothing away, Garfield wondered if she'd just made a joke.

"Did you just…" when she smiled, he laughed. He didn't mind being the butt of a joke, as long as it was hers.

Kori, who was watching the exchange, decided to get the scoop straight from the mouth of the horse, though she didn't know why one would refer to someone as a horse.

"Rachel, friend, Richard and Vic will be out tonight. Would you like to do the 'Girls night'?" she asked, hoping some of the good humor Garfield had inspired would carry over to her.

"Sure, sounds nice, want some money for some snacks for us?" Rachel said with a small smile

"Not at all friend, I will pay for the junk food and prepare for our evening in in my room. I shall see you after your shift."

"Sounds great." Rachel never really did the girl talk thing, but for Kori, she was always willing to try. Usually their nights consisted of Kori talking about Richard, lots of sugary snacks and a movie that always went unwatched in the background. Now that they were of legal drinking age, they often threw in a bottle of wine for good measure.

Kori skipped off, hoping her shift would hurry and finish. It was rare Rachel felt the urge to have girl time, and she was going to take full advantage of the fact that they were both off the following day. Now all that remained was to actually get Vic and Richard to leave for the evening, which would require some begging and bribing for both.

Rachel was getting ready to clock out when she saw Garfield on the phone. He was frantically trying to reach someone and kept leaving voicemails that his shift was done and he was ready to be picked up. He finally put his phone into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes which appeared to be empty _damn, what a hell of a time to be cutting back_ he told himself. The habit bothered him, but he was trying his best to quit, leaving only a few in the box for him to have while he worked. He looked up in time to catch a box from Rachel.

"You can have the rest of my pack if you're out; I have a new one in the car."

"Never took you for a smoker" he said as they walked outside together, appreciating the half full pack of expensive cigarettes she'd thrown at him.

"Only when I'm drinking or working, and only my brand." The truth was Rachel was also trying to cut back, though she didn't need to ration like Garfield. She hated that she'd even picked up the habit.

"Recessed filters always confuse me." He leaned in to accept the light she offered. He exhaled and pulled his phone out. _No new messages._ Kori came out and smiled at Rachel and Garfield. "Hello friends, Rachel are you ready? Richard has set up our room for the Girl talk and I am most excited to begin."

Rachel looked at Garfield, worry spreading on her face. "Actually Kori, why don't you go and practice driving by bringing the car around." She handed her keys to Kori who looked like a little girl running to the car with excitement.

"Garfield, is everything Ok?" she asked, concern clear in her voice. "Do you need a lift or anything?" The screech of her tires brought a small wince on her face "With me driving of course."

"Sure, that would be great, thanks." He said with a smile trying to mask the mild sadness he felt.

"The car is a little small, sorry." She said motioning him to the car.

"Sure beats walking." He said rubbing the back of his neck.

"Kori, get in the back, we're giving Gar a lift, and please don't-"before she could finish, Kori jumped from the front seat to the back over the center console "jump over the seats..." Rachel sighed and Garfield laughed, hopping into the car.

"May I play my music Friends?" Rachel begrudgingly handed her the cable to plug her MP3 player in and said a simple "I'm sorry." to Garfield. Loud pop music blared out of the speakers as they started down the road towards Garfield's house.

"NICE CAR." Garfield yelled over the music Rachel turned it down a bit, ignoring protests from the backseat.

"Thanks, I bought it recently. I never make silly purchases, but this, I had to have."

"You never see people driving stick shifts anymore. He said, watching her smoothly shift her car.

"This car wasn't made as an automatic, the engine is too large. There are smaller models that have automatic, but I find a stick shift to be very Zen." She said with a small smile. They spent the rest of the ride in silence, only speaking to get or give directions. When they pulled in, the house was dark and appeared empty, Garfield's truck missing from the driveway.

"Need us to wait?" Rachel asked, as Garfield left the car, Kori thankfully using the door to gain access back to the front seat.

"Nah its cool, I have a key. Thanks for the lift, Goodnight Rae." He said walking away

"Goodnight Gar." She replied, choosing not to correct the slip of her name. She watched him walk up the steps and enter the home. What she didn't see was him collapsing to the floor as soon as he entered. Terra was with him again, he knew it. He cried softly to himself as he heard the car pull away, the loud music returning. She didn't have to see his tears; the slump in his shoulders as he entered the home was enough to let her know his despair. She watched the house fade in the distance of her rear view mirror, noticing no lights came on.

Rachel sat cross legged on Kori's bed, pouring her friend a glass of wine as she changed into pajamas. "Dear friend today was wondrous, was it not?"

"It was Kori, it went surprisingly smooth." _Until the end that is…_ she failed to add.

"Gar is a very kind and funny isn't he?" She pressed, hoping for Rachel to give in, even if it was just a little.

"He is kind, funny, on good days," she said, taking a sip of her wine, still distracted by Garfield's mood as they left him. Kori noticed Rachel was not paying much attention to her and decided to try and get her engaged in the conversation further. Deciding to up the ante, she chose a more serious approach.

"He seemed sad today, didn't he? When we were dropping him off, I don't want to pass judgement on her, but I fear Terra may not be the most suited for him." Rachel's attention was finally fully grasped. She brought her glass to her lips, mulling over her next words carefully. She took a sip and nodded.

"He definitely deserves better, someone who will treat him special and laugh at his jokes, but most importantly, will be there for him when he needs it. Why the sudden interest in Gar? I thought you were over the moon for Richard." She said with a sly smile.

"Oh, I do not believe I would be suited for him, and I am deeply in love with my Richard. I simply meant that Terra does not deserve a man as kind as Gar, though I do think there may be another worthy of his affections, if only she'd notice him." Kori returned the expression, the sly smile making her look cat like. Rachel knew exactly what she meant; she'd known Kori for too long to not know she implied Gar was a good match for Rachel.

"No, I don't see him like that, and even if I did he doesn't see me like that. It's a wasted effort my little matchmaker." She took a bite of the cheese Kori had picked, something odd and foreign that paired surprisingly well with her choice of wine.

"I believe you are blind." Kori shot back.

"Oh, are you implying Gar likes me?" Raven choked on her food and washed it down with another sip

"No, I believe you are blind to your own affections my friend. Though yes, you aren't seeing his for you." She placed a hand gently on Rachel's, who was staring at their hands. She couldn't find words, a denial at this point only solidified Kori's suspicions, but by not denying it she was still confirming it.

"I can't see him like that; he's attached, off limits. I won't do to another girl what was done to me. And Gar, well, he's just friendly, you're mistaking that for attraction." Rachel finally looked at her friend whose expression had become gentler.

"My dear Raven, I may not know your language well, but I am not blind. Perhaps if you could stop blinding yourself with the past, you could see it too." Kori using the nickname for Rachel usually meant Rachel needed comforting. They'd known each other since they were little girls, when Rachel's family lived abroad. Raven was Kori's special nickname for Rachel whenever she fell on hard times. The last time she used it was when Rachel's last relationship ended.

"Kori, I just, I don't know if I'm ready, for a relationship, or to feel something like that again." Rachel's eyes teared up a bit and she looked away to blink them away.

"You'll never know until you try. Give it time; I'm sure you'll see what I mean." She smiled gently and were startled by the sound of two intoxicated men entering the house, laughing loudly "Looks like our girl time is up, come on, let's get them feed before they burn the house down." Rachel smiled at Kori "Thank you for always being there Kori, you always knows what to say to pull me out of my funk."

Terra came home hours later, stinking like liquor and a fresh shower. Garfield knew that meant she was trying to cover up her night's indiscretion. She looked shocked to see him at first, then sneering at him with obvious disdain. "What're you doing home already? Did you get fired again? You're such a child, I swear Gar, and you can't keep a job to save your life. How are we supposed to live? You're so useless." She spat out.

"Its 3AM" Garfield responded darkly.

"Excuse me?" She threw back

"Its 3 AM TERRA! I GOT OUT OF WORK 4 HOURS AGO! I text you and called you, you never responded!" he shouted, fed up with being blamed. He was tired of being accused of infidelity, he was tired of being blamed for their money problems but most of all, and he was tired of being blamed for the poor state of their relationship. He didn't know where everything went wrong, and he used to fight to make things work, but he was tired of fighting for someone who didn't have the decency to be there for him.

"It is not, and I didn't get anything on my phone-" she pulled her phone out of her purse and looked at the screen _Silent Mode active 3:10AM_ she dismissed the notification and her heart dropped, sure enough, it was there:

 _New message:_ _Hey Babe, im wrapping up, be done in 15._ _J love you_

 _Missed call at 10:35pm from Gar 3_

 _New message: Hey babe, clocking out, you here? I have a surprise for you :x_

 _3 Missed calls from Gar 3_

 _-10:50PM_

 _-10:55PM_

 _-11:00PM_

 _New message: Terra where are you?! I'm still sitting here waiting, everyone else is gone already_

 _New message: I'm home, brought you a dessert, its in the freezer. Be safe, love you._

She'd forgotten to remove the silent mode when she was done with her Wilson, meaning she went to the party and missed all of Garfield's calls and texts. She'd obviously lost track of time, though she did believe herself to be late, she certainly didn't expect Garfield to be home, waiting for her in their bed.

"So I lost track of time, sue me I was having fun. How did you get home anyway, did you walk?" she said dismissively erasing the messages she shared with Wilson and throwing her phone on the bed.

"I got a ride." His voice was steady, no more yelling or any emotion left to be discerned.

"From who, that slut Rachel you're always talking to? Have you been cheating on me?" she accused him, narrowing her eyes.

"You have a lot of nerve telling me that. Who were you with this time? And don't bother denying it, I've known for a long time, I thought you'd stop when we got engaged but you didn't. Why Terra, you know I love you, I don't even look at other women, let alone sleep with them. You always turn me down when I try to have sex with you, so you can't say it's because I never want it." He was still calm, not once raising his voice or sounding angry, asking her as if he were asking her for the time.

"Oh Bullshit, you know I'm not cheating." She flipped her hair, exposing a new hickey on her neck; one Garfield knew he'd never have given her. He calmly stood up and walked to her, Terra showing momentary fear.

"Don't you touch me, I'll call the pol-"He flipped her hair out of the way and tenderly stroked the fresh hickey.

"Then how do you explain this?" He looked at her with pain in his eyes, knowing she'd been discovered and internally cursing Wilson for leaving the mark, she finally spoke.

"Well, it's your fault really, I mean, what do you expect a girl to do? You leave me unsatisfied and you have a small dick, I did what I could for as long as I could but really Gar you're a shit lay. I have needs you obviously can't fulfill me. I only stick around because I love you." She pulled away from him, not noticing the hurt expression on his face.

"That's still no excuse for cheating, why didn't you say anything? I could have worked on it, if I had known I wasn't enough, I could have tried." She thought for a moment, debating between an apology and the liquor fueled tirade of insults she held within herself. Unfortunate for Garfield, the liquor won.

"You're such a pussy, I swear, you think you're special? I can have five guys like you in one night. You're so childish and immature, not once have you been able to take care of yourself, you're such a leech; you just use people to get what you want. You drink too much and all you know how to do is party." She shouted at the top of her lungs and slapped him when he tried to reply. "Get out, take the clothes you're wearing and leave. Don't even think about taking anything, it doesn't belong to you, since I paid for all of it. Go home to mommy and daddy, where you belong."

He didn't say anything, just grabbed a small duffle bag and grabbed some clothes for the next day and a few items he'd brought into the house himself. He didn't take anything, nothing he'd bought, and nothing they shared. When he was finished grabbing his clothes, he sent a quick text out to his adoptive parents

 _Hey Steve and Rita, Terra and I are through, walking your way now, don't worry about picking me up, it's too late._

He'd not made it to the end of the driveway when he received a text from Rita

 _Clint is coming for you, where are you? Get somewhere warm if you can and wait. You're always welcome home._

He smiled at the message and began walking toward a 24-hour restaurant a block from his former home, the cold from the early spring air making the tears in his eyes and on his face sting more.


	3. Measuring Ingredients

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans are the property of DC comics and I am not gaining any sort of compensation for this work. This is purely a work of fiction so any similarities to situations or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.**

 **Author's Note: So here we are in Chapter 3 already(I just can't stop writing). I want to thank you all again for being so supportive. I want to have a chapter written a week in advance so I will do my best to keep up so I can maintain my update schedule of once weekly at a minimum.**

 **TT(Guest): Thank you for your review and kind words, I will be continuing this story about a chapter a week or shorter depending on how long it takes to write the next chapter. I like to stay a chapter ahead of the one I upload so if you see this, you know chapter 4 is written, edited and ready for upload.**

3\. Measuring ingredients

Garfield awoke to an unfamiliar ceiling, a feeling he was used to but not comfortable with from his years in and out of hospitals as a child. A few quick blinks to better focus later and he'd remembered where he was. The ceiling belonged to the guest room of his parents' home and the previous night's events came crashing back to him. How could he be so stupid as to believe she would change? Why had he held on for so long? Why did it hurt so much? He didn't want to leave the warmth of his bed, hoping in vain that if he never left, none of what had happened would be real. He was contented to just lie there, until his last breath if it meant Terra was still his.

 _Knock knock knock "_ Garfield, honey, we're having breakfast, why don't you join us?" Rita's voice pulled him back from his thoughts and reminded him that no matter how long he lay in bed, time still marched on. He composed himself, clearing his throat and answering.

"Sure, let me just get dressed and make my bed, I'll be down in a few minutes." He heard her walk away from the door and got up from the bed. He was delighted to find that his parents had left some clothes he'd forgotten to take with him when he'd moved out for him to wear. After getting dressed, he headed towards the dining room where the smell of banana pancakes filled the air, hopeful that a hot breakfast would help to fill the emptiness he felt. He sat down near his father and began drinking the juice that was set out in front of him, trying to avoid conversation for as long as he could.

"You can stay here until you can afford your own place." His father said, never putting the newspaper down to make eye contact with Garfield. "Your mother and I discussed it and it would be fine if you stay here temporarily until you can get your own place or you can pay us rent and stay here permanently. It's your choice." Garfield was surprised at the lack of questions, considering his parents' lack of approval of his relationship with Terra from the very beginning, a debate that quite nearly drove them apart permanently. Though he was thankful for the lack of a lecture from his father, he also couldn't understand why.

"Don't you want to know why I left?" He asked, quietly, never moving his mouth from his glass. Rita entered the room and placed a plate of pancakes in front of him.

"Steve and I agree that when you're ready to talk about it, we will listen. Until then you just focus on eating right and working hard." She smiled softly at him, taking a seat next to Steve, who began folding his paper and putting it aside.

"Whatever that girl did to make you want to leave is a blessing in disguise. She was no good for you son," Rita shot Steve a sharp look and he stopped what he was saying, quickly changing the direction of the conversation "Regardless of the circumstances, we are just happy to have you home." He began eating his meal and thanked Rita for serving him. Garfield only absentmindedly chewed his first bite, the taste suddenly souring in his mouth.

"She cheated." Steve and Rita looked up at Garfield, shocked and their food now completely forgotten, the eggs on Rita's fork slipping off and back onto her plate.

"Not just once, this wasn't the first time. I don't even know if it was the only guy she did it with. She would come home late a lot, she drank a little too much and sometimes when she would get home, she had showered. That was when I first started suspecting. Then I saw marks, small ones, hidden by her clothes at first but lately they've been more noticeable. At first I thought it was just a one-time mistake, or it would only happen when she was too drunk to know any better. She started erasing her messages and calls on her phone, I only noticed when I went in to call my phone when I lost it in the house. Last night was the last straw; she never showed up to pick me up. When she got home she had a hickey and was again drunk."

Garfield stopped eating, and his eyes welled up. He was waiting for Steve to tell him what an idiot he was, he was ready for the lecture but it never came. Instead, he found himself wrapped in both of their arms; they were whispering comforting words for him, while he cried finally allowing the full gravity of what had transpired to hit him. Thankful he was off for the next two days, he allowed himself to let go of all of the repressed pain and frustration Terra had brought on him.

"Kori LETS GO! We're going to be late if you don't get your ass in the car in the next 5 seconds!" Rachel laid on her horn allowing it to blare loudly through their garage. She'd been waiting in it for the last 15 minutes while Kori finished getting ready. She normally wasn't late but the fact that Richard had interrupted her in the shower was most likely the cause to Kori's tardiness, Rachel only knowing because her bedroom shared a wall with their bathroom.

"Coming!" Kori called out, running into the garage holding hands with Richard. With a quick peck on the lips, she bid farewell as Rachel put the car in reverse and opened the garage door. "Kori, I swear, if I'm late because of your little escapades with Dick in the shower this morning, you owe me big time." Kori only giggled, Rachel was all bark and no bite with Kori, true, she made threats frequently, but rarely upheld them. The truth being Rachel just couldn't find it in her to stay mad at Kori for long.

"I will wash the dishes for 2 weeks if we are late" Rachel only scoffed and drove onto the highway that lead to their work, quickly gaining speed and passing any slow moving traffic.

"Even I'm not that cruel Kori." She said with a laugh. True to her word, they were not in fact late, arriving just a scant 3 minutes before their shifts. Kori noticed Rachel scan the kitchen for a certain blonde man who was to work with them that evening. Though she feigned ambivalence, she very clearly cared for him. Their friendship was a complex one, he tried to make her laugh and she did her best to seem unfazed, but they were obviously growing close, having a respect for each other on a deeper level. Kori headed into the dining room as Rachel set out to do her daily routine of stocking and preparing for the night's rush. She made her mental checklist and walked into the cooler to grab a few things and take note of what needed to be thawed. Heading into the cooler for more meats, she found it was occupied by a crying Garfield. His back was turned to her and his body was shaking. The bags of steaks and shrimp in his hands that she'd come in for.

"Gar? Are you ok?" she said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. He turned around quickly and forced a smile.

"Hey Rae, uh chel, sorry, I was just trying to stock everything before you came in, I guess I'm working fry but it didn't need to be stocked." His voice was still cracking from his tears and she only raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure you're ok? I'm here to talk if you need it." With that, the emotional dam flooded, Garfield cried again leaving Rachel to stare at him in his pain. Then something he'd never expected to happen, happened, he felt Rachel's small arms tenderly wrap themselves around him, one hand moving up to cradle his head to her shoulder, the other wrapping around his back. She rubbed small circles around his back until his last sobs left him. Pulling away from the hug, she handed him a handkerchief and smiled softly.

"Better clean yourself up; the guys will eat you alive if you don't. Don't worry about returning it; I have a billion of them. I don't know what's going on to make you feel this way, but I'm always willing to listen." She pulled out a paper from her pocket and wrote down her name and number on it. "Here, you don't have to call or text, but if you're feeling down and want someone to talk to don't hesitate to contact me." In just a few short minutes she had now done two things to completely surprise Garfield. He stared at her for a moment, the surprise clear on his face.

"What?" though she was happy to see the tears gone from his face, she did not like the grin that was settling in.

"Nothing, it's just, you strike me as someone who doesn't give her number out, I mean, you like your space, and the hug? I thought you hated being touched." He rubbed the back of his neck and tucked the paper away in his pocket.

"Well, awkward and uncomfortable as that was, I'm not completely heartless. That number is for only serious reasons. Don't prank or drunk dial me and don't give it to anyone." She smirked at him and grabbed the bags of meat that were dropped onto the floor. She headed out toward the cooler, stopping to look over her shoulder "Don't take too long in here; we're going to need your help tonight." Her mask was back on; she headed back to her station, Garfield not far behind her. The night went smoothly, Garfield distracted from his problems and Rachel being exceptionally helpful whenever he looked as though he was going to fall behind. The usual plans of going out after work were being made and, as usual both Garfield and Rachel politely declined. Staff filtered out, one by one, until only Rachel, Garfield and Kori, who was finishing her shift, remained. Richard was already waiting for Kori so they could spend some time alone together after work. Kori walked in from the bar area with a glass rack, stacking it behind Rachel "I am leaving friends; I will see you all tomorrow." She sent a small wave to Garfield who was putting clean dishes away as Rachel washed them. She walked out, her arm around Richards, the sound of her laughter fading as they walked towards their car. After placing the last glass rack into the machine, Rachel looked around to survey their handiwork. They certainly were a good team, efficient with an attention to detail that even made Richard happy.

"Gar, you can leave if you want, I don't mind putting the last rack away and breaking the machine down." She started wiping the area where the dirty dishes once rested and Garfield simply wagged his finger.

"Uh-uh Rae, never leave a job undone, I will stick it out with you until we are completely done." He smiled at her and opened the dishwasher to put away the glasses. She smiled back and finished breaking down the machine and wiping any stray water droplets making the stainless steel shine again. They locked up the back door and cooler and turned out the lights together. Making their way to the front door, Garfield felt the despair return with every step closer to the door. Rachel noticed his shoulders slumping further and further. They stepped out and she lit a cigarette.

"Listen Gar," She said, exhaling the smoke, "I don't know what has you down, but you can't let it control you. Learn to master your emotions, and things will be much easier. Trust me." Garfield smiled at her "Thanks Rae, I'll keep that in mind." She only stared at him for a few brief seconds longer and walked to her car.

"See you tomorrow Gar, have a good night." She noticed his truck suspiciously absent from the parking lot, a small sedan in its stead with a male driver. She'd assumed Terra had something to do with his mood, but she couldn't bring herself to ask him about it. Finally reaching her home, she went into her room for some clean clothes and a towel. As she set her phone on her dresser it pinged and vibrated

 _New Message from: XXX-XXX-XXXX Hey Rae, thanks again for your help today, I really appreciate you giving me a shoulder to cry on. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight._

It pinged again as she read the message

 _New Message from: XXX-XXX-XXXX Oh yeah, this is Gar, save my number if you want or need it._

She smiled at the phone screen, of course it was Gar, "You dummy, who else do you think I let cry on my shoulder today?" saving his number and sending a reply, she placed her phone down again, heading to the bathroom for a well-deserved shower.

 _New Message from Rae: Anytime Gar, keep your head up, it will get easier. Goodnight._

Garfield smiled at his screen, lying on his bed still dressed in his work clothes. Maybe last night his whole world fell apart, but tonight, everything felt OK, because he knew that even if it was just in this moment, he wasn't alone.

 **Afterward: I just want to apologize about the weepy mess BeastBoy was in this chapter, but its just what I saw in my head. He'll be back to his usual self soon, I promise.**


	4. Seperating Ingredients

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans are the property of DC comics and I am not gaining any sort of compensation for this work. This is purely a work of fiction so any similarities to situations or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.**

 **Disclaimer: Teen Titans are the property of DC comics and I am not gaining any sort of compensation for this work. This is purely a work of fiction so any similarities to situations or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.**

 **Author's Note: So here we are, chapter 4, I can't believe the support I'm getting for this story, it really makes me incredibly happy. We are now getting to the meat of things, to the parts I will love to write, this chapter will focus more on friendship but you'll see the relationship blossom more. I'll also include more Richard, Kori and Vic in this chapter and moving forward. These next couple chapters have a bit of truth in them, though they've been highly fictionalized for the sake of literature, so writing them will be easier. I have an outline for the story and from what I can tell in the trending of how I write each section, there at least 5-6 more chapters and maybe more if I chose to expand on it. Let me know what you think in the reviews, suggestions, comments, complaints, whatever, I love it all because it means you're reading it. I will PM those with usernames my reply for your reviews and I will post guest reviews in my Author's Notes.**

 **Thank you all again!**

1\. Separating Ingredients

"Wooooo! Come dance with us Vic!" a cute blonde girl Rachel didn't know was shouting from on top of their dining room table. There were four girls in total dancing where Rachel ate and enjoyed her tea. She rolled her eyes and sipped her drink, trying to forget about the fact that she would have to buff their heal marks out of her table.

"Hold on little lady, I don't think it would support me." Vic shouted back. Though the table was sturdy, Vic was a hulking man with broad shoulders and large muscles, evidence of his athleticism, even though he was missing two limbs. With his dark skin, bright smile and large build, he was definitely a catch for any girl, and that was neglecting the fact that he was a tech genius, just a degree away from working at the largest companies in the country. Hearing the girls shriek again, Rachel decided that it was now time for a smoke and some quiet.

Stepping outside she lit her cigarette and took a long drag from it. Finally free from the loud noise, obnoxious drunks and desperate people hoping to get lucky that night, she shut her eyes and enjoyed the silence, short lived as it would be. Two young men walked outside, one holding his mouth and stomach, the other, ushering him as far from the sliding glass door that lead to the backyard. _He's not going to make it to the bushes._ Sure enough, vomit sprayed through his clenched fist and landed, thankfully, in the grass.

Rachel hated parties. She could deal with her roommates getting rowdy and loud from time to time, she could deal with the occasional bar and even the occasional bar b que, but parties were the absolute bane of her existence. She didn't know what inspired her to say yes to the occasion, though, if asked, Kori would say it was because a certain blonde jokester expressed interest in attending. She rubbed her temples, trying to tune out the sound of the over-partied guest vomiting just a scant 8 feet from her. Giving up, she snubbed her cigarette out in an ashtray and headed, once more, back into the fray.

Rachel looked through the crowd for any familiar faces, finding a familiar mane of red hair; she made her way to Kori and Richard, who were celebrating their win in Beer-Pong. Kori was jumping and squealing with delight, while Richard pumped his fist into the air. Though they seemed like an odd pair when they first started dating, Rachel had to admit they looked good together. The two young men who'd suffered defeat scoffed and walked away looking like they were dragging their tails between their legs.

"You do not want the re-match?" Kori sounded disappointed she had an almost inhuman tolerance to alcohol and had an incredible knack for party games, it was a wonder they'd played for as long as they had. Spotting Rachel, she called out to her "Friend! Do you wish to play against Richard and me?"

"I don't have a partner and I'm not any good at these games, you know that Kori." Rachel chuckled and waved her hand dismissively. It wasn't that she didn't want to play; she truly did not have a partner and was not bold enough to face the two best players in the game.

"Well, good thing I'm here, because I'm good enough for the both of us." Rachel was startled by the familiar voice, and Kori's face lit up.

"Friend Gar! You've made it! I am most pleased to see you, and you may bring it on. Richard and I are undefeated and you will find that this will not be an easy battle." She turned and smirked at her boyfriend, who held a smug smile.

"Hey, name's Richard, but you can call me Dick. I've heard a lot about you from Kori. Sorry about your breakup man, I know how it can be." Richard extended his hand forward and Garfield reached around Rachel to shake it, who was still stunned to see him in her home. She slowly turned to look over her shoulder at Garfield, a warm smile directed at her.

"Hey there, Rae." His voice snapped her out of her shock and she turned around to smirk at Garfield.

"Hey Gar, it's Rachel, not Rae." He smiled widely at her, rubbing the back of his head.

"Sorry, well, what do you say? How about we show these two how it's done. He began taking his coat off and Rachel began setting the cups back up for their game.

"Splendid! We will not go easy on you just because you are new to our home Gar." Kori's excitement drew onlookers to their game.

"You better bring it Rae; I'm in no mood to lose on my first game." He rubbed his hands together, warming them up.

"Rachel." The annoyance noticeably missing in her voice, replaced by determination and a competitive nature she was unfamiliar with.

"Whatever." Garfield smirked across the table, the same competitive gleam in his eyes, determined to show his new friends his ability.

"Challengers get first throw, better make it count." Richard threw the small ping pong balls across the table and readied himself for the game.

"House rules?" Garfield asked wanting to make sure his victory would be a clean one.

"Distractions are welcome and encouraged, making a bounce counts as two cups, but they can swat a bounce away if they choose to. You can't cross the table when taking your shot; you can only win by bouncing. If you make both shots with a bounce you get another turn. You can call out a trick shot and if you land it, you get balls back. If at any time you think you can't drink the cup, you can hand it off to your teammate and loser has to drink all cups left standing on the table. The moment a ball leaves your hand it counts as a shot" Rachel explained the rules like she explained recipes, short and to the point.

"I hope you're not thirsty Rae, because you're about to leave this table without a drop of beer in you." He smiled again and she sipped her drink.

"Then I guess I better get hydrated before we begin" Rachel didn't know where it was coming from, but something about being near Garfield and on a team with him made her more playful.

Garfield started the game while Richard and Kori kissed and wished each other good luck, landing a bounce shot on his first try. "That's two lovebirds." Rachel could only gape at him impressed he had the tact to take advantage of the moment. He turned and winked at her and she only smiled in return, rinsing off her ball and taking a simple shot, which bounced off as a miss.

"When you throw, aim with your thumb like this and just extend your elbow and flick your wrist." He demonstrated his technique to Rachel, mocking holding a ball between his thumb and forefinger.

"Thanks, I'll try that next time." Richard tried for a bounce, not wanting to be outdone, which was easily swatted away by Garfield, who wagged his finger in response. Kori threw her ball, making it into the first cup in the row. Rachel instinctively went for the cup and was stopped by Garfield gently slapping her hand.

"I promised you, you would not drink a single drop of beer from this table. If they make any shots, I will be drinking it." He smiled again, lifting the cup to his lips. Rachel blushed finding his forward nature a vast difference from the order following trainee she usually spoke with. She smiled back and took the ball her offered her, taking his advice and aiming the ball with her thumb. She launched the ball across the table, delighted to find it landed smoothly into one of the remaining cups. She choked out a small laugh as Richard looked worriedly at the cup.

"See, works every time. You might be a Goddess in the kitchen, but I am King of beer pong." Hearing Goddess as a description for her was not something Rachel was used to. She'd been called many things, but never something as positive as that. She blushed again, turning away to hide her face and only scoffed.

"Maybe if you weren't such a goof in the kitchen, you're like a lost puppy, following me around not sure what to do." Garfield laughed in shock.

"Who knew Rae was so funny." He chuckled again, directing his comment to Kori.

"There are many things you do not know about Rachel. You'll be shocked to find she is an incredibly interesting and complex person." She smiled knowingly at Richard, whom she'd informed of her plans to "make a match" as she called it. Richard returned her smile.

"Rachel is a very complex person, that's for sure. As long as I've known her she was always a hard shell to crack but her friendship definitely made it worth it.

"I'm standing right here remember?" she glared at the two and held their gaze. Their smirks only fading when the familiar sound of a ball hitting the table brought their attention back to the game. Her glare faded to a smirk as the ball landed inside a cup. Garfield hooted and she raised her hand to accept the high-five he was requesting. "Distractions are both welcome and encouraged." She repeated, still smirking as the couple begrudgingly picked up the cups needing to be consumed, splitting the third between each other. Their next shot missed, obviously distracted by the fear of the end of their perfect record.

The next few turns were uneventful, the couple eventually catching up with Garfield and Rachel. Down to the wire, both teams left with one lone cup on each side. Garfield requested a time out to discuss strategy and both teams huddled to discuss their next turn in hushed tones, the majority of the party now watching what could prove to be a historical game.

"Follow my lead, go along with whatever I do. You're going to shoot first, then I'll shoot immediately after. We're ending it this round. Bounce shots have the same principal as normal shots; you just give them a higher arc. You can do it and you kind of have to because this plan will only work once." The smell of cheap beer filled her nose as he explained, not sure what he was up to she decided to only nod and trust whatever plan he had in place.

"Don't worry Rae, if all goes according to plan, this will work." He smirked and she suddenly felt that going along with his plan may not be such a good idea. They took their places at the end of the table and got ready for their shot.

"There's no way you're bouncing it in Rachel, you can barely make a normal shot. This is not over, you will not beat us." Richard was trying to taunt Rachel into failure, while Kori danced behind him. Garfield chuckled at the sight, if he was able to see Kori in any way other than friends, it would have worked, but today he would not be swayed. Rachel took a deep breathe, the party going silent with her other than the music playing from another room. Feeling all eyes on her, she found her center and tuned Richard's taunts out, readying her shot. She released the ball with a higher arc, just as she was instructed and as she watched it bounce, she felt one of Garfield's arms wrap around her, her mouth fell open in shock as she attempted to protest, but lips crashing down over hers silenced any words that were forming. She heard her ball sink into a cup and the familiar sound of another ball bouncing on the table and sinking into the cup. She attempted to pull away but his hold on her only getting stronger as she heard Richard scramble for the balls in the cup.

"Kori, focus, now's our chance." He placed the ball into her hand only to watch it fall uselessly on the table. Richard was too frazzled to line up a decent shot and bounced his ball too hard, hitting the kissing pair across the table. Finally able to break from his grasp, Rachel pulled away, anger etched across her face.

"What the hell is your problem Gar?" She was a deep red and wiped her lips, wanting to erase the kiss.

"We won." He said, only smiling at her. The gleam of Rachel's lip gloss still on his lips, he motioned for her to look. She turned her gaze across the table, both balls sitting in the cup. Kori was still slack jawed and Richard looked like he wanted to kill someone. She looked back to Garfield who was smiling triumphantly. The room around them was a mix of people cheering loudly at their win and others who were too shocked at the kiss to react.

"You could have said something Gar; you could have warned me or, I don't know, asked for my permission." She was still flushing and glared at Gar.

"To be honest, I wasn't sure I'd have the guts to do it until I did. Sorry Rae." He rubbed the back of his neck and gave her an apologetic look. She looked back to Richard and Kori who looked utterly defeated. She smiled and looked back to Gar.

"You know, for this sweet victory, I'd have to say your gamble was well worth it." He smiled back at her.

"Does this mean you liked the kiss?" he sounded bashful, but was trying to sound cocky, and heart couldn't help but skip a beat at his expression.

"Don't press your luck Gar." She scoffed. They met eyes for a brief moment before she was scooped up into Vic's firm embrace.

"Booyah, that's my girl. Way to take down the power couple you two!" he looked to Garfield with a stern expression "I suggest you don't try and pull that trick again, dig?" Garfield put his hands in front of him.

"Not again, I swear." _Not unless she asks me to._ He failed to add in a rare moment of wisdom.

"Rematch" Richard choked out. Everyone turned to him, interrupting the various congratulations and praises directed at his opponents. "That was a fluke, no way you two will do it again." His smug expression was back and he stood more confidently.

"If you're that eager to get your asses kicked again, I'm happy to oblige if you are Gar." She smiled at Garfield, more confident in her skills than she'd ever been.

"With you partner, anytime, anywhere." He smiled back and they set the game back up.

"I'll drink my fair share this time Gar, no sense in going thirsty." The crowd cheered in response and the game began again. The next few games became a blur of laughter taunts and high fives for Rachel. She couldn't tell someone who won more games that night, and it wasn't the alcohol's fault. No, she couldn't remember whether or not she and Garfield won more games because for the first time since she could remember, she had so much fun time seemed to slip by her. They played well into the early hours of the morning, stopping to eat pizza together long after only one guest remained. Garfield spent the night in their guestroom, for the sake of safety as they all went to bed.

As he removed his shoes and shirt and got comfortable in the small bed, his mind raced to all that had changed in the last 6 months. He went from engaged to homeless and single and now he was sleeping in the home of some good friends. _And I got a kiss tonight. Well, to be fair, I stole one._ He touched his lips, remembering how soft and supple Rachel's lips were; he remembered the taste of juniper in her mouth. _She was probably drinking Gin._ A smile spread across his face and he settled into the sheets, ready for sleep to claim him and for the dreams he was certain he would have. What he didn't know was just across the hall; a certain Raven haired woman was also touching her lips, remembering how gentle yet demanding his kiss had been for her. She remembered the taste of cheap beer, cigarettes and mint, and the musky scent of his cologne. She remembered the feel of his arms around her and his torso, tight with muscle pressed against her body, though her thoughts were less than positive as she settled into her sheets. _It was just a kiss Rachel, just a kiss; don't do this to yourself again. You're his friend and it was just for a stupid game. Don't do this again, just a friend._ She repeated this mantra to herself, over and over finally allowing herself to sleep. Her dreams were filled with his broad shoulders and strong, yet wiry arms. She remembered his kiss and her mind allowed it to fill in the details of what the kiss could mean next.

 _Knockknockknock_ "Yo, greenbean, there's coffee and breakfast if you want it." Garfield was startled awake by the sound of Vic's voice. He got up and made the bed, placing his clothes and shoes back on he headed out into the hallway to a bathroom to freshen up. He could smell bacon eggs and coffee from the kitchen as he made his way through the large house, finally allowing himself to wonder how four college students could afford such a nice place.

"Morning Vic thanks for letting me stay and offering breakfast". Garfield grabbed a green mug sitting next to the coffee pot and filled it with coffee.

"Morning, Rachel tells me you're a vegetarian, so I made you some oatmeal. It's on the table." Plating the massive breakfast meat feast he was preparing, Vic sat down across from Garfield and began eating his food. Garfield took his place and started adding the fruit he was given to the oatmeal.

"Thanks man, is she up already?" He asked between bites, Vic not bothering to stop eating while he answered.

"She's always the first one up. She comes in and makes herself some tea, meditates and comes back usually when we are finishing up to have a cup of tea with us while we eat. Kori and Dick already went out for breakfast so it'll be just us two until Rachel joins us, Greenbean." Vic's expression took on a more sinister look and Garfield chose his next words carefully.

"Oh, cool, hey what's with the nickname? Not that I mind it I just want to know why." He stammered out, hiding back into his food.

"You're a vegetarian and enjoy mostly greens and you're skinny as a string bean. You're a greenbean." They both laughed heartily, and some of the tension eased from the table.

"So listen," the stern tone of Vic's voice returning "That girl, she's like my sister, if it wasn't for her, I would just be a crippled mess of self-pity. I care about her, more than you or any other guy ever will. She's been hurt before and I don't take kindly to men playing with her heart. Your little stunt last night did not escape my watch. Whatever your intentions are for her, I suggest you settle them fast because I don't appreciate her being strung along. "Garfield choked on his oatmeal and met Vic's eyes. They weren't malicious but he could still see the threat behind them. Beneath that, there was concern, one he understood. Rachel never seemed fragile to him, but it seemed that beneath her cold exterior a woman who was no stranger to hurt resided.

"Honestly, I don't know. I'm still healing from Terra. Rachel is amazing; she's smart, interesting, funny and, well, gorgeous. I could really see myself liking a girl like her but I just don't know if I'm ready to move on yet. Part of me still hopes Terra will come back, but the smarter part of me tells me to let her go. I don't have an answer for you Vic, but I promise I will do everything I can to make sure I don't hurt Rachel in the process." Vic smiled, satisfied with Garfield's genuine answer.

"It's a good thing you can be read like a book greenbean; otherwise I'd think you'd just fed me a line." Garfield's phone went off and he checked the screen

 _New Message from Mom: Hi sweetie, thank you for letting us know you would be out last night. Glad you stayed safe. I need your help with something as soon as you can get home. Love, Rita_

"Hey man, sorry to eat and run, but my mom needs me. Thanks for having me over and for the awesome breakfast." He rinsed his bowl and mug and ran out the door, rushing home.

Hidden from sight, Rachel listened in on their conversation " _I could really see myself liking a girl like her"_ playing over and over in her head. She heard his hasty exit, thankful for his mother taking him from the kitchen before she had to face him. Steeling herself again, she moved into the kitchen just as the door shut behind Gar.

"Good Morning Vic, it smells wonderful in here." She moved to the kettle and filled her mug with hot water, adding tea leaves to her cup.

"If you want more than just tea, I can make you some waffles really quickly if you'd like." He smiled, scraping his plate and placing it in the sink.

"No, just tea is fine, I ate a little too much pizza last night so I'm still a little full." She smiled at him and sat next to him.

"Sooooo, interesting night last night." He said, pressing for more information. She raised her mug as if to toast him.

"And the mess to prove it." She looked around the house, surveying the damage. As rowdy as they got, the damage was relatively minimal. Beer cans and empty bottles littered the tables and counters, but the house was relatively safe. The table they used for beer pong already taken out and put away.

"I'm more worried about the mess in here." He tapped her forehead moving to tap her chest "and here. If he bothers you Rae, you can always tell me, and I'll make sure he backs off for good." The concern written clearly on his brow, she took a sip of tea and smiled.

"Thanks Vic, but honestly? I'm not bothered; I know it was only for the sake of the game. He caught me off guard and I can assure you it will not happen again." She was thankful he was being mature about this; normally he would tease her and then give his advice.

"Not unless you want him too is what you mean to add, right?" he wagged his eyebrows and Rachel sighed.

"Of course you'd say that, how could I have been mistaken that you would be serious about this." His laughter roared through the house and she swatted at his arm. They sat chatting happily, enjoying the rare moment of time alone together until Rachel finally felt the urge to shower. As she set her phone down on her dresser a familiar buzz sounded and she checked the screen.

 _New Message from Gar: Hey Rae, I had a blast last night. You are the best beer pong and flip cup partner in town. I hope you have me over again._

Had they played flip cup? The night was a blur, though she didn't excessively drink. _He has the best timing, or rather, the worst, he always texts me when I'm about to shower._ Typing her reply, she settled on a simple thanks and a promise for further invitations to knock Richard from his high horse as far as drinking games were concerned. She set her phone down and started heading out of her room. The buzz from it bringing her back to her phone

 _New Message from Gar: LOL sounds good, I look forward to it. Sorry about the kiss, I won't do it again, I honestly don't know what came over me._

 _Reply: Its ok, don't stress about it, to be fair, I could have not kissed you back. I'm just not someone who throws affection around like that._

 _New Message from Gar: Yeah, sorry, I hope you don't feel like I disrespected you?_

With every new message and every reply she sent, he heart felt a little bit lighter, her towel and fresh clothes long since forgotten.

 _Reply: No worries, the fact you felt the need to apologize means you respect my perspective. What's done is done and its water under the bridge_

 _New Message from Gar: I'm conflicted. I'm sorry I did it, but I don't regret it._

Rachel stared at her phone, chewing on the words he sent. What did he mean he didn't regret it?

 _New Message from Gar: What I mean to say is, you're a great kisser Rae. Hope you have a good day_ _J_

She smiled at his words. A great kisser? She hadn't done it in ages and was sure he was mistaken. She only smiled and decided on a simple reply

 _New Message from Rae: Thanks, you have a good day too. You're also not a bad kisser yourself, but don't expect any more from me any time soon._

Garfield could hear the snarky tone in her reply. He only smiled and put his phone away in his pocket, going back to the heavy boxes his mother needed "urgent" help with. That same stupid smile plastered on his face for the rest of the day.


	5. Bringing It All Together

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans are the property of DC comics and I am not gaining any sort of compensation for this work. This is purely a work of fiction so any similarities to situations or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.**

 **Author's Note: I don't know what is going on, I'm writing more this week than I did in 6 months last year. The story just keeps coming to me, what I want to happen next, the excitement of a new challenge for our heroes and the lure of what will be all driving me to keep going. It doesn't hurt that I have all you wonderful reader's helping me along, giving me encouragement and feedback. Keep being awesome readers.**

 **Guest: Thanks! I appreciate the nice comments, here's another chapter**

 **THE JUDGE OF FICS: Thanks man, I really appreciate it.**

Bringing it all together

 _New Message from Gar: So what do you do for fun then?_

 _New Message from Rae: I read, I also like to write. I work out, but only because I want to stay healthy._

 _New Message from Gar: I only recently started working out again. It feels good. What do you like to read? And write? What do you write?_

 _New message from Rae: Working out can do wonders for your mind. I read anything that seems interesting; lately I've been stuck on classic literature. I write whatever I want, usually just short stories._

 _New message from Gar: That's so cool! I don't really read much myself, only comic books and I read a little of Twilight, did you like it? And I would love to read your work, I bet its great._

 _New message from Rae: God no! and I don't really show my work to anyone right now, sorry._

 _New Message from Gar: That's too bad, im sure its good. I like to play video games myself._

 _New Message from Rae: That doesn't surprise me._

 _New Message from Gar: LoL, why do you say that_

 _New Message from Rae: It suits you_

 _New Message from Gar: Oh man its late, sorry I kept you up! I better let you sleep, see you tomorrow Rae_

 _New Message from Rae: Goodnight, I was up anyway, see you tomorrow._

Rachel couldn't remember why she stopped chiding Garfield for calling her Rae, and she didn't remember when she'd sent so many text messages in her life. Every morning in the month since the "incident" at the party was the same. She woke up early to meditate, had her tea and usually at the end of her first cup she got a new message from Gar. They started out simple enough _Good Morning dude!_ but had since evolved into more. This morning, the topic was dreams _hey Rae, do you remember your dreams? I had a pretty bad one last night._ They talked all morning, until they both left for their shifts. He messaged her as soon as he made it home and they text well into the late hours of the night. Every day he messaged her and they spent every day talking about anything and everything either of them had on their minds. This morning Rachel did her best to comfort her usually upbeat friend after a nightmare of re-living his breakup. Garfield, while admitting that he was essentially done with Terra, was still hurt about the whole thing. Rachel did her best to help him move forward from the pain, saving him from the same pain she dealt with day by day. She didn't want the light that seemed to pour out of Garfield to fail, and certainly not because of some woman who never deserved him in the first place, but there was only so much she could do. She took special care in what she said to him, and the advice she gave, though she never felt she was doing enough. She turned over on her bed, and lay her phone down onto the side table where she charged it. She smiled, not knowing how long it had been since she went to bed with a genuine smile on her face and for the first time in as long as she could remember, excited about going to work the next day.

Garfield was also smiling, tossing his phone aside and turning over in his bed. It had been too long since he had someone to talk to the way he talked to Rachel. He at times felt guilty unloading all of his emotional baggage on her, but she was always an attentive listener and a wonderful source of advice. Not once did she call him foolish or weak for still pining over Terra from time to time, though she did remind him of the pain she put him through. She was a supportive friend, often reminding him that not all people were like Terra, and letting people back into his life was healthy. They shared so much information in their messages to each other that one piece was glaringly absent: information about her. Though Garfield would spill his entire heart and mind out in their conversations, he rarely got much more than basic information about her. There were the obvious things, she was a protective friend, willing to do anything for those she loved, but then there were the subtle things he had yet to grow the courage to ask. He'd tried to probe into why she was so obviously unattached romantically in the form of little jokes. _Gosh Rae, how are you single, I guess a boyfriend wouldn't be cool with me texting you all hours of the day though._ Her response being a simple _I suppose that's fortunate for you isn't it._ She slowly revealed more and more about herself to him, her interests, likes and dislikes so simple he'd wondered why she even bothered to hide them at all.

She was most secretive about her past. Rachel had little to say about her childhood other than she was raised in a special community for single mothers and she quite noticeably never spoke of her father. She only spoke of the friends he knew and never spoke of past relationships other than to align with his frustrations in his. He knew she, at one point, attended college though she never finished for a reason unknown to him as she was an ideal student in high school. He knew something big happened around years ago that changed her, but he didn't know what happened. He knew she spent all of her holidays with Richard and his family, but didn't know why she'd spend them away from her mother.

With every little tidbit she gave him, he grew hungry for more information. He wanted to know everything about her, everything that made her tick. Vic still warned him about trying to get to close, though he didn't think Rachel felt anything other than friendship for him and always waved off Vic's concerns as him being overprotective. He couldn't imagine a world where a smart, amazing woman like Rachel could feel that way about him, so he kept every small ounce of attraction he felt for her buried deep within himself. Anytime he felt it stew up again, he would go running. Running always cleared his head of any rampant thoughts he didn't wish to have. Lifting made him feel powerful when he felt weak, but running made him feel free of everything. He certainly didn't mind the results either, his shirts and chef coat fitting more snug across his chest and arms. He rolled over and fell asleep quickly, his dreams not plagued with nightmares as they were the night before, rather filled with sweet private moments shared with his favorite raven-haired beauty.

"That dirty, cheating son of a bitch!" Terra threw her phone across the room, and jumped out of her bed. She went to retrieve it and stared again. On the screen was a photo of Garfield and Rachel standing next to each other drinks in hand and smiling, though Rachel's smile was admittedly smaller. They were dressed well, in a quiet local microbrewery that doubled as a bar where they served specialty beers. Seeing a picture of Gar with a woman wasn't what bothered her, no not at all, it was the way his arm reached around Rachel, almost possessively in a tight embrace, his eyes shining from his smile.

"I knew that little bitch was scheming to steal him from me." She paced around her room, her bed partner too drunk to be disturbed from his sleep. She angrily squeezed her phone, shaking from the pressure. True, she was already living with a new man, true, they were exclusive, but Garfield was hers, no one could have him, and certainly not this little witch who used sweet words to seemingly spell her Garfield away from her.

"What is she giving him? What's so special about her? She has shitty hair, no makeup and dresses like a hobo." Terra hated losing, especially to women like Rachel. Garfield was hers, if he didn't want to be with her, he would have to live his life alone. She threw on pants and a jacket, deciding a drink was in order. This witch would not take her Garfield from her, not as long as Terra had a single breath in her body.

"So what does Richard do for a living? I never hear anything about his job other than that he's exhausted." Garfield took a bag of trash from Rachel, they were finishing up their closing duties and he usually got pretty chatty towards the end.

"There's no way you're _that_ thick. You mean you really don't know?" Rachel looked at him shocked but with a playful smile on her face.

"As molasses it seems. Really Rae, what does he do? He must be doing well for himself if he charges you such a low amount for rent to live in that monster of a home." Garfield shut the lid to the garbage can and brushed his hands together, cleaning the solid debris from them and followed Rachel back into the restaurant.

"Now I know you have to be messing with me." She smiled at him over her shoulder and pointed to a set of framed pictures on the wall. There were three in total, in one, the CEO of the company who owned restaurant, Mr. Wayne looked on sternly through steely blue eyes, in the one next to it sat the familiar face of their manager and in the final sat another familiar face, _Richard Grayson, Director of Restaurant Operations._

"These pictures new? Heh heh." Garfield blushed and sheepishly smiled at Rachel, rubbing the back of his neck. She cocked a brow at him and smiled again, a short cough of a laugh escaping her.

"Been there as long as I've worked here. You never looked at them? Not once?" she locked the door they were standing near and headed over to turn out the lights.

"Guess not. No wonder you all have such nice digs, he must be raking it in. How'd he land that job so young?" Now Rachel knew Garfield was thick, maybe a little unobservant but she knew better than to take the bait. Everyone in Jump City knew Richard was Mr. Wayne's adopted son, the eldest of the four Wayne children.

"Ha Ha. Did you really not know Richard was the big boss? Or are you just messing with me again?" She turned around to face him, her hand on the light switch.

"I really didn't know he ran the place, I just thought he liked the food. I know he's Mr. Wayne's son, I just thought he worked for Wayne Industries directly. Wonder why he got this section and not something more important." Garfield smiled at the picture of Richard, his stern expression being a far cry from the smug smirk he was used to seeing. He could hardly believe that his big boss had only recently played a very silly game where Rachel handed out embarrassing orders to Richard, which he was forced by the game's rules to obey. Rachel turned the lights out and they walked toward the door to clock out.

"Well, it is important, to Bruce anyway. His whole goal is to eventually branch out completely across the country. Every heard of the Gotham City open table program?" she clocked out and waited for Garfield to do the same. Their new weekly routine of carpooling back to Rachel's house to celebrate the weekend together with her roommates meaning there was no rush to get Garfield back home with a borrowed car.

"Is that the one where people can eat at any restaurant in Gotham for free, as long as they agree to do some form of community service? From what I gather it's fed a ton more kids than anything, great program, I wish it was like that everywhere." He waited while she locked the final door to the restaurant, accustomed to being the last two out of the building.

"You are correct. When the economy tanked, Wayne industries was fortunate enough to escape relatively unscathed. Bruce decided the best way to save his city was to give the people the things they needed to get back on their feet. He renovated thousands of apartments and made them available on an income based rent system, started a monthly haircut program where homeless and unemployed could still look presentable in their job searches and started an interview outfit loan program for people to have nice clothes to wear for interviews. He didn't just create jobs, he gave the city hope for a better tomorrow." They were at her car finally, lighting a cigarette each to enjoy before they left the parking lot. Garfield was impressed at how knowledgeable Rachel was in current events, though he had to admit he could be if he bothered to change the cartoons to the news every once in a while.

"He tried to solve the crime in Gotham by giving people a reason to not need to steal. The last step in his entire plan was to make sure no citizen would ever have to go hungry. He wants to expand to Jump City and Bludhaven now, giving Richard his choice between the two. Richard's task while he's here is to first create successful business for local restaurants and eventually implement Open Table here, showing that profits and charity can be the focus of business. Once Richard has developed it to stability, they will present the plan to the city government." Rachel took a drag of her cigarette and looked at Garfield.

"Sounds like a big task to give to a 20-something." He shrugged, not feeling envious of his friend's responsibility.

"To be honest, I'm not even sure it can be done on a large scale. Sure, Gotham works because it has Wayne to fall back on and a strong industry. Anyway, you ready to go? I want to take a shower before Vic gets back with his date." She put her cigarette out in the outdoor ashtray near where she was parked and opened her car door.

"Sure thing, I know, you need to get all clean and pretty." She scoffed at him as he sat in her car and rolled down the window.

"I just want to get the smell of steak out of my hair." She smelled her coat and wrinkled her nose at the smell "And shrimp on my skin." Garfield smelled himself and made a disgusted face.

"Ditto, I stink like dead animals. Mind if I borrow the guest shower? I have a clean shirt in my bag." He pulled the cap off his head and ruffled his hair back to its spiky style.

"Help yourself, though I doubt there will be any ladies at the house other than Kori and Vic's date so your efforts might go wasted." She pulled onto the road and headed toward her house.

"You're wrong Rae; there is a girl worth getting clean for, if only for the sake of her nose." He smirked at her, the lights from the stereo dancing in his eyes.

"Oh yeah? Are they inviting someone else along?" she turned into her neighborhood, slowing down considerably.

"No, it's you." He looked out the window to hide his blush, not wanting to make eye contact with her.

"Oh," she said softly, not wanting to look at him either, praying he wouldn't notice the blush creeping across her cheeks. "No need to do anything special on my account." She tried to make it into a joke. Garfield laughed finally recovering from his mild embarrassment at his earlier statement.

"For you Rae, anything." He smiled widely at her and earned a dismissive shake of her head as a reward, hiding the fact she was flustered well behind her poker face.

 _BZZZZ BZZZZ BZZZZ_ Rachel's phone went off she hit the answer button, the call playing over her speakers.

"Raven, friend, where are you and Gar right now?" Kori's voice was mixed with the sound of music playing in the background.

"Almost home, why?" Garfield raised a brow at Rachel and said "Raven?" Incredulously

"Well, see Victor brought a few friends in addition to his date back to the house and they are looking for a particular beverage. We have the money here if you want to come get it. Richard says he may know where to find it." Rachel instinctively rubbed the bridge of her nose in frustration. She did NOT want to have to hunt the city for particular liquor one of Vic's "friends" wanted.

"What's it called Kor?" Garfield spoke up, thanking his years of catering to Terra's particulars in alcohol with decent knowledge of specialty stores in town.

"Oh, Gar, I did not realize you were on the line as well. It's called "Honey Hive", they say it's a-"

"Sweet whiskey, got it, I know just where to find it." He looked at Rachel "Rae, you have $60 on hand? It's about that with tax and everything. If we avoid heading to your house, we can get it in five minutes at a shop near here." She nodded and Garfield directed her to pass through the light rather than turning as she normally would. "We're going to get it Kor, see you in a few."

"See you in a few Kori." Rachel hung up the phone and followed Garfield's directions to a small liquor store she never knew was so nearby.

"This place looks small on outside, but there's a huge basement below, that's where all the good stuff is. What we're after is behind the cashier counter." Rachel turned off her car and the pair walked into the shop, not noticing a familiar pickup parked at the far end of the parking lot.

"That little bitch," She squeezed her steering wheel, her recent purchase forgotten.

"So this place has everything sorted into categories. Fad stuff always sits behind the counter, and you might like the Gin section in the basement, some of the best stuff in the world." He motioned for her to follow him down the stairs and showed her the immense selection the store had to offer. Bottles were organized by country of origin, type, and brand and price range.

"This place is so well hidden. Let's hurry and get the bottle they want so I can shower." She started heading up the stairs.

"Hang on, I want to buy myself something, wait for me outside?" He was jogging back to the shelves and Rachel headed to the counter to purchase her liquor. When she was done, she stood near her car and lit a cigarette to wait for Garfield. Garfield came out of the shop, a brown paper bag in hand and a smirk on his face.

"Hey Rae, is it ok if I drive? I've always wanted to drive your car, we aren't going very far and I haven't had a drink today. Please?" He folded his hands together, begging Rachel to let him drive.

"What the hell," she snubbed her cigarette out on the ground, making sure it was completely cold and extinguished and threw it in the trash bin, "why not, you have your license on you right?" she headed toward the passenger side of her car and opened the door, throwing the keys over the car to Garfield.

"Of course! Thanks Rae, I've always wanted to see what it was like." He started the car and backed up before Rachel could finish buckling up.

"Remember, it's more powerful than you realize so just make sure you're easy on the throTTLE" The sudden jerk as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Jeez, you weren't kidding Rae, this thing has some balls. What made you buy it, it's nothing like I would ever expect you to drive, and it's too flashy." He eased off the gas and brought them to a safer speed, admiring the cockpit style interior from the driver's side. He could see the speedometer and where a red "150" appeared toward the end of the dial.

"To be honest, I have no idea. I only looked at it because it was in my price range and a heck of a bargain. The guy just wanted to get rid of it. I made a rare impulse decision and bought it. I have worked on restoring it with Vic for about two years now, when I bought it, it wasn't this pretty, and it didn't sound this nice. It became an odd hobby that I found I really enjoyed. You might want to up shift soon." She pointed at the odometer and sure enough, it was reaching 3500RPM

"You really know this car. It's a blast to drive. Thanks, I haven't driven something fun since, well, since I lived with Terra." He looked lost in thought for a moment.

"Speaking of, didn't you have a truck?" Rachel was legitimately curious, though she was happy to distract him from his own thoughts.

"Did, yes, but I was an idiot. When I bought it, I put it in Terra's name because she was going to add it to her insurance. When her car broke down, we just shared and I didn't mind being the one who had to be dropped off and picked up. When I went to pick it up, she waived the title in my face, reminding me that it was still legally hers." He sighed and gripped the steering wheel a little tighter.

"That's terrible; you don't have any paperwork confirming you paid for it." She had a disgusted look on her face. It was one thing to lie and cheat from him and another to break his heart but Terra stole what amounted to thousands of dollars from him as well.

"All cash, I don't have a bank account. Its ok, it's just a car; I'll save for another and be back on the road in no time. You don't want to sell this any time soon do you?" He smirked at her as they pulled into her driveway, the low hum of the engine revving suddenly as he played with the pedal.

"Not a chance in hell." She smiled back. She unbuckled her seatbelt and went for the door handle.

"Hang on, I have something for you." He handed her the paper bag and she pulled it down to reveal the label _Cadenfield's Old Rev Reserve_ it was a brand she was familiar with, and new even the low end bottles ran around $50 a piece.

"Gar, this is too much, why would you spend that much on something like this?" She was shocked, and a little touched.

"It's a thank you, for everything. You've been such an amazing friend to me. Also, if you could share it, I'm curious what makes it so special." He smiled at her meekly, handing her the keys, not moving in any way.

"Gar, thank you, it's a wonderful gift. I've always wanted to try it, and yes, no one will drink from this bottle but you and me." She smiled warmly and moved across the seats, wrapping her arms around him and bringing him into a tight hug. "You're a great friend Gar, and a wonderful person, Terra was nuts to let you go."

"Thanks Rae, that means a lot." He returned the hug and pulled her tightly against him, breathing in the smell of her shampoo, she was crazy if she thought she smelled bad. Rachel then did something neither of them expected, she turned her head slowly and planted a small kiss, really only a peck, on his cheek, pulling away after, pink tinting her pale skin.

"That stays between us." She opened the door and headed into the loud house. Garfield sat dumbfounded for a moment. "Well, come in or I'm going to lock you in there for the night." She called over her shoulder at the door.

"Yes ma'am!" Garfield fumbled with the door and headed out of the car, jogging towards Rachel, a smile still plastered on his blushing face.

"I fucking knew it, I FUCKING KNEW IT!" The pair was blissfully unaware of the truck parked across the street, too caught up in the moment they shared. Terra started the truck and slammed the gas pedal down, burning rubber down the small residential area with tears in her eyes

"He's mine; you'll see you little witch." She said between gritted teeth, as she turned, tires screeching onto a main road.


	6. Heating Things Up

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans are the property of DC comics and I am not gaining any sort of compensation for this work. This is purely a work of fiction so any similarities to situations or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.**

 **Author's Note:** **So things are getting interesting. I know some of you are worried about a love triangle, and I assure you, it's not happening. I prefer the torment of sorting out feelings and attractions much more to fighting for love, and BeastBoy doesn't strike me as fickle. I want to thank all my readers and reviewers with a special shout out to Artemis Raven Courtney for being so adamant about reviewing and encouraging me so much, you rock man. These chapters have been long, but when I write, I have a 3 part guideline I need to meet, the buildup and setup, the excitement, and the teaser. However long it takes me to set up, paint the picture of excitement and develop an appropriate tease for the next part, that's how long the chapter will be. "Boring" and straight-forward chapters are shorter, big stuff is longer. You'll have your pay off soon, dedicated BBRAE shippers, I guarantee it, though these next few chapters will slow down a bit. Sorry for the agony.**

1\. Heating Things Up

 _The caller you have reached has a voicemail box that has not yet been set up. Please hang up and try again._

Terra slammed the phone down. She'd called 22 times in the hours since seeing him kiss that disgusting witch.

"Answer your damned phone you useless fuck!" She screamed at her phone, gaining some stares from the people drinking and suspiciously leaning over a mirror on the kitchen table, rolled up dollar bill in hand. She stood up and went outside. She lit a cigarette and finished the last half of her drink, dialing the number again.

 _Ring Ring Ring The caller you have reached as a voicemail-_

She disconnected the line and screamed again. He was ignoring her calls. She knew he could see her calls, there was no way he'd missed them. She blocked her number and dialed again.

 _Ring Ring Ring_ "Hello?" His voice came across the line, loud background music could be heard and the laughter of a few people calling him to come back to the game. "I'll be right there, I got a call. Hello?"

She gritted her teeth, ready to give him a piece of her mind. Then she heard _her_

"Gar, you want to come outside for a cigarette with me? You'll be able to hear better." She sounded relaxed, using his name too casually for Terra's liking.

"I'll join you, but I think this was just a wrong number." He hung up the line and Terra squeezed her phone. She ran inside, grabbed her coat keys and another drink and ran back out the door.

"The little fuck thinks he can ignore me so he can spend time with his little whore does he?" she started the truck and drove off to Rachel's house. She'd show him what happens when you ignore Terra Markov.

"The stars look amazing out here." Gar was staring up at the sky from the backyard. Rachel smiled and looked up to take in the same view.

"The house is far enough from the city that the view is amazing, there's an even better view from upstairs. I can show you if you'd like." Garfield's eyes widened and his smile broadened.

"Can we? That would be awesome!" His excitement warmed Rachel and she smiled.

"Sure, I could use a little quiet time anyway." She started walking away, stopping when Garfield called out for her.

"Tell you what; let's ditch the party for a bit, grab the gin, and tonic water and I'll grab a couple limes and glasses. Any preference for music? Or is mine ok with you?" He didn't know what he was hoping for in asking for some alone time with Rachel, or why he even suggested ditching the loud party in favor of some quiet with each other. He held his breath for a moment, waiting for her answer.

"That sounds like a fantastic plan Gar. Let's try and be sneaky so no one complains." She headed in to the kitchen for her gin and tonic water, grabbing a small blanket from the living room, grateful it was not in view of the dining room where her friends loudly played a game of quarters. Gar shot her a smirk and they snuck out the back door.

"There's a staircase on the side of the house. The upstairs is still being renovated; I think Richard is planning on moving up there with Kori in the future. We have to do some climbing but it's easy enough." They rounded the corner and Garfield was impressed at the large spiral staircase he'd never noticed. They headed up the stairs and onto a deck; the view had improved, but not by much. Rachel headed to the end of the wooden deck and started climbing over the railing.

"Where are we going?" He asked, trying to help keep her stable,

"Climb over here, we will climb onto the top just to the left of here." She placed her blanket onto the roof and climbed up. Gar followed suit and he followed her to the peak. "Watch your step, it can get slippery." They reached near the tip of the roof, high above the tree line. Garfield turned around and saw a truly breathtaking view.

"Wow." He said, nearly under his breath.

"MmHm, what'd I tell you, its amazing alright, I come up here to get some alone time some nights." The sound of a glasses clinking together brought Garfield's attention back to her. She had a small bowl of ice and was placing some cubes into their glasses. She poured a drink for both of them and placed them onto the flat spot she was sitting on. "Damn, forgot the knife." She moved to get up and Garfield handed her a small pocket knife.

"Good think I always carry one." After cutting a few wedges and squeezing them into the glasses, she handed Garfield his drink and took a slow inhale of hers. She took a small sip and her eyes shut in approval as the fine gin passed down her tongue with nearly no burn.

"Does it live up to its hype?" He took a sip, quickly finding that it in fact had.

"And then some. Thank you Gar, it's delicious." He sat next to her on the blanket, taking in the beautiful sky once more. They chatted about anything that came to mind; making small jokes back and forth and appreciating the quiet with each other, only occasionally hearing the people below make a loud roar or cheer as their game continued.

"They're certainly very drunk by now." She took a sip and shivered as a breeze cut through her, suddenly cold. She was draped by something warm and realized Garfield had removed his coat and given it to her.

"Thanks, I should have grabbed another blanket. You're not cold are you?" She put her arms through the sleeves and cozied up, appreciating the light smell of his cologne.

"Nah, I'm like a Wookie, I have hair all over. I also never get cold." He joked and she merely scoffed.

"A Wookie huh? Maybe you should invest in a raz-"the sound of the sliding glass door opening suddenly stopping her from speaking

"WhERE are GAR and RACHel?" Kori shouted into the night sky, clearly having had a bit too much to drink. Rachel also heard Richard shushing her in between giggles.

"they aren't on the roof ARE THEY?" Vic also half shouted, craning his neck around to see the small platform Rachel and Garfield were sitting on. Rachel instinctively leaned away from the edge, not wanting to be seen. She felt Garfield's arms wrap around her, and he leaned away from the edge, pulling her flush against him. She could hear his heartbeat racing from where her head pressed against his chest, though she wasn't sure if that was her own heartbeat. His breath tickled her ear and his embrace grew tighter. Her friends went back inside, yet they stayed there, tightly embraced. She turned to look up at him and realized her lips were just mere inches from his. She could smell the lime on his lips and met his eyes, staring deeply, almost afraid to move. He began to close the distance and she fluttered her eyes shut, preparing for what was to come next.

 _BANG BANG BANG_ "Garrrrfiiiielllld, Garfield! I know you're in there you worthless piece of shit. Come out here!" _BANG BANG BANG BANG_ "Garfield! Don't ignore me you fuck!"

Rachel pulled away from Garfield and was standing near the edge of the platform in an instant, peering downward toward the front door. She could see a familiar truck in the driveway, engine running, lights on and door open.

"You have a visitor." Her voice was cold and she picked up everything into the bowl of ice and tugged at the blanket, signaling Garfield to get up. "It's Terra." His heart sank and he cursed her silently for interrupting the moment he was sure would never return with Rachel. He grabbed his glass, finding Rachel was already heading down the stairs toward the house.

"Stop hiding him you assholes, where is Garfield?" Rachel walked in to hear Terra cursing at Vic, who was standing in the doorframe, obstructing Rachel's view of Terra, though she sounded plenty drunk.

"Hey, bitch, you" she snapped her fingers calling Rachel's attention "Hello! I'm talking to you. You're wearing his jacket. Where the hell is he." Rachel looked down and cursed herself, so much for staying out of it.

"He'll be over in a second, he's coming in from outside." She began taking the coat off and laying it over a chair in the dining room.

"Terra? What're you doing here?" Garfield's voice was shaky; he walked over to the door and took Vic's place, not missing the menacing glare Vic gave him.

"Come. Home. NOW!" She was nearly shouting at him.

"I don't live with you anymore, remember? Where's your friend? Wilson was it?" The bitterness in his voice was clear.

"Don't bullshit me. Come home. Please baby, I miss you." Her tone became sweeter, and Garfield almost gave in. Almost.

"Cut the crap Terra, if he's out for the night find someone else to warm your bed." He took a swig of his drink and tried to find the strength to avoid causing too big a scene for his friends.

"You. Pathetic. Little. Pussy! How dare you turn me down! You're mine, MINE, not hers, you used to beg to fuck me, I should have known you don't have the balls to do it." She started banging on one of the large windows next to the door and screeching loudly into the night.

"Will you shut up? I'm not getting back together with you, and I don't even want to talk to you right now, but I can't have you getting cops called because you're acting crazy." He motioned to the lights coming on across the street, blinds being pulled as neighbors peeked out.

"You think I'm crazy?! I'll show you crazy. You're going to regret turning me down Garfield Mark Logan, you and your little bitch are going to regret it." She stomped off and jumped into the truck, spraying gravel as she tore out of the driveway. Garfield sighed in half relief and half fear. He knew her threats carried weight, though he was unsure of how she would manifest that revenge. He turned around to the stern faces of Vic and Richard, and a very obvious absence of Rachel and Kori.

"Sorry guys, I didn't know she knew where you lived." He smiled apologetically and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Come one greenbean, we have a bit of a chat right now." Vic said his tone dark and almost scary.

"Yes, we do, come on Gar, why don't you tell us just where you and Rach were when we were looking for you, and why that psycho knows where my family lives." Richard's smile held more danger than the dark tone of Vic, it made the same promises, but it didn't need the overt intimidation of Vic's expression, Garfield knowing just what a powerful man with connections could do to him. "Don't be shy Gar, have a seat, need a refill of your drink? Because you're going to be sitting here for however long it takes for you to make me understand this whole situation, including what you're planning for my friend."

Garfield sighed again, sitting down and gulping down the last of the drink Rachel had made him, knowing it was some kind of sin to waste a good drink like that, but he didn't care. All Garfield cared about was getting though this long conversation so he could salvage… What was he trying to salvage with Rachel anyway? What did it matter that his ex had shown up and wrecked the moment they were sharing. But what did that moment mean? He knew damn well what it meant to him, though if asked he'd just deny it.

"Grab a few beers, this may take some time." Garfield laughed sardonically, looking at Richard with pain in his eyes.

"We have all night buddy." Vic turned the chair and sat on it backwards, leaning his arms forward over the back of the chair. Richard returned with a six pack and handed one to Gar

"So I was with Terra for quite a while, finally caving to ask her to marry me. She cheated on me, a lot, and I broke things off. She kicked me out and took all my stuff, and I moved back in with my parents for the time being. I tried to reconcile things a couple times but she ignored me. So tonight, she started calling and texting me, so I ignored her. I'm done with that, I loved her, but she hurt me, I can't go back to that. She was cruel, the longer I'm away, the more I see it." He took a long drink of his beer.

"Then why was she here tonight? Why would she know you were here and why would she know you were hanging out with Rachel?" Richard asked his questions like he was completing an interrogation.

"Maybe she followed me one night? Maybe she can see my phone location still. As for Rachel, I have no idea, she saw that we worked closely together but that was it. Unless…" he stopped speaking and realization washed over his face.

"Unless what? Spit it out Greenbean" Vic's impatience adding to the tension in the room.

"I got a call from an unknown number tonight. I answered it because sometimes my home phone comes up unknown. She must have blocked her number. She must have heard me talking to Rachel." He slouched in his chair. Rachel didn't deserve this, not all this crazy, she was too sweet and innocent to have to go through all of this.

"Let's say we believe you. Great, you didn't bring her to our home. Now, what are your plans with Rachel? Before you deny it, we can see it, how close you two have gotten, how often you're messaging her, the time your spending and your little alone excursion together tonight." Richard again interrogated Garfield.

"And no lies Greenbean, I don't like liars" Vic balled his fists in a threatening manner. They were playing good cop/bad cop on him. He wanted to laugh, thinking it was funny that Rachel had these two guys watching her so closely he would be surprised if she ever had a boyfriend for long.

When Terra called her out, Rachel froze, if only for a moment. She removed Garfield's coat and ran to her room, avoiding the impending confrontation. She lay on her bed and tried to clear her head. A small knock on her door brought her attention back to world around her, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Come in." Her voice was shakier than she'd expected and she cleared her throat, repressing anything that she was feeling just a moment before

"Friend, mind if I join you for a drink?" Kori came in with two glasses of wine and a bottle. Rachel knew Kori was worried and was merely trying to help her friend through this mess.

"Come on in." Rachel sat up and patted the spot next to her on the bed.

"Are you ok friend?" Kori placed her hand on Rachel's knee.

"Why wouldn't I be Kori? I just wanted to get far away from all that Crazy." She lied, not making eye contact with Kori

"Because you ran away to hide in your room, because you look like you are trying to fight your tears and because I can smell Gar's cologne on you." Kori finished her last statement with a smirk on her face.

"I was wearing his jacket, of course I smell like it." She smirked back and sighed. She did feel like she was going to cry though she was not ready to admit why.

"Do you wish to talk about it?" Kori handed her a glass and filled it, softness in her eyes that showed her concern clearly.

"What the hell." She took a big sip of her wine and looked at Kori "I don't know what to do Kori. We were up on the roof, having a good time watching the stars. You guys startled us and I think he almost kissed me. Then Terra showed up. I suddenly felt like he had called her over or something, I was thinking he was playing around with me while he waited to get back together with Terra. All the nice things and all of his kind words suddenly making me feel worse." She put her face in her hand and sighed.

"You nearly kissed? But why would her appearance here invalidate everything you two have shared?" Kori's excitement was not hidden in the slightest.

"Yes, I mean no, I really don't know, everything seemed to be going that way. I was afraid he would go back to her and that I was a fool for starting to think he wanted something with me." With that Rachel made everything known, upfront and in the open. There was no use hiding from Kori, the girl was too damned perceptive, and it felt nice letting out her feelings that she'd hidden so well.

"He seemed just as shocked as we were. I don't believe he called her here, I seem to recall his phone ringing quite a bit and he ignored them. Perhaps she was trying to contact him and decided a more direct approach was in order. And Rachel? He didn't go with her." Kori grabbed Rachel's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. Rachel's eyes widened and she had the urge to speak to Garfield, to clear things up, and to find out just what his actions on the roof had meant to him. She didn't want to believe a man like Garfield could want her, but she couldn't help herself from hoping for it. She finished her wine and looked at Kori.

"Go speak with him friend, he is in the dining room." Rachel smiled at Kori as she was pulled into a great bear hug.

"Thank you Kori; you really are a wonderful friend." Rachel pulled away from the hug, her mind racing as to all the possibilities. Kori only smiled back, picking up the glasses. She opened the door and her heart sank, Vic and Richard were interrogating him.

"Let's say we believe you. Great, you didn't bring her to our home. Now, what are your plans with Rachel? Before you deny it, we can see it, how close you two have gotten, how often you're messaging her, the time your spending and your little alone excursion together tonight." Richard interrogated Garfield.

"And no lies Greenbean, I don't like liars" Vic said in a threatening manner.

"There's nothing to tell. He wanted to look at the night sky, I mentioned the roof had a great view and needed some quiet time. We had a drink up there; we came down when we heard Terra." Rachel walked into the room with her arms crossed, standing behind Garfield.

"As for his intentions, I'm not really sure myself but he's been nothing but a good friend. He's not once tried to take advantage of me. I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself, I'm not some idiot who gets easily swooned." Her voice made Garfield's heart drop. She sounded as if the very idea of falling for him was completely absurd. He didn't dare turn around to meet her gaze, instead feeling her hand on his shoulder.

"Garfield is my friend, and I will not sit here and allow him to go through some inquisition because he happens to want to hang out with me. You guys can't do this for every guy that enters my life. I understand why you're worried but I'm wiser than before. I won't let what happened to me happen, ever again." She released his shoulder and walked into the kitchen. She set to clean up and Garfield looked at Richard and Vic, who were looking down like scolded children.

"Sorry man, we get a little carried away looking after Rae, she's like a sister to us. We know you're a good guy, we just don't want anything happening to her." Vic looked at Garfield apologetically, Richard still looking stern and serious.

"I apologize as well, but my point is still valid." He was refusing to admit fault in anything other than insulting Garfield.

"Don't worry guys, I totally get it." They all clinked bottles and went back to a more casual conversation, Garfield's stomach still in knots about what had transpired in such a short amount of time. He went from thanking her with a sweet gesture to spending alone time with her and nearly kissing her to wondering if kissing her was really the right move. Maybe she did only see him as a friend, it had been so long since he actually dated that he wasn't sure anymore. She was kind, funny and always willing to listen to him, but so were many of his friends. He put his head down and groaned at the thought, wondering if he'd nearly crossed a line with her, causing irreparable damage.

"So Rach, if there was nothing goin on with you two why did you hide in your room when Terra arrived?" Vic yelled into the kitchen, his playful demeanor returning.

"Because I deal with enough crazy in this house alone, I don't need any more thank you. She was hell bent on the fact that I'm sleeping with Gar and I didn't want any part of it." She yelled back, turning the faucet on to wash dishes. Gar saw an opportunity to clear the air and mustered his courage as Kori sat at the table, ready to continue their game of quarters after the sobering experience. He walked into the kitchen and set his drink on the counter.

"Let me help you with those." He began rinsing dishes and placing them into the drain board.

"There's no need, it's my home I can clean it." She didn't make any move to stop him though; she only placed another glass in his sink.

"I helped make the mess, I can help clean it." A thick silence settled between them, and Garfield wondered if it was the right time to bring everything up. He shifted the weight on his feet, and opened his mouth, ready to say something about what happened.

"About tonight, Gar, don't worry about it. While I was bothered by her actions, I know Terra has no connection to our friendship. She's nuts, and I know that you're the one who has to deal with her most, I only get glimpses." She shuffled nervously, her hands pausing in their scrubbing of a plate only for a moment. She chewed her lip in what seemed to be frustration and spoke with a shaky voice.

"And the other thing, on the roof, we can forget that too, I don't want you to think I was pressuring you into anything. I'm happy to have a good friend, I don't want things to get all awkward." She handed him the plate and visibly tensed.

"Uh, sure, sorry I guess it was more my fault for putting us in that situation to begin with." He nervously grabbed the plate and her body eased. She looked relieved and Garfield's chest tightened again. What if he wanted things to get a little awkward? Did he want things to get awkward? Maybe not awkward, but he certainly wanted things to change. He cared about Rachel, more than he was willing to admit to her, but that was his problem. Would she go for him if he tried? Or would she shoot him down? He settled to silently help her with the dishes. He would sleep on it; whatever he felt in the morning is what he would decide to do, regardless of his fears.

He smiled and hummed as he helped Rachel with the dishes, unaware of the storm raging within her own mind. She was scolding herself for her word choice. Pressuring him? She hadn't made the move to kiss him, what was she pressuring him to do? Things getting awkward? What would make things awkward? She enjoyed his company and he seemed to enjoy hers, what could possibly get awkward? And for that matter, why was she so afraid of the possibility of things changing? As she wiped the counters, she remembered just why she was so afraid. She was afraid of falling for another friend. She was afraid of becoming another friend with benefits. She was afraid of opening her heart to someone who only wanted her to open her legs. She emptied the water and rinsed the sink, drying her hands on a small towel next to the drain board.

"Thanks for your help Gar; I'm going to bed, goodnight." She sounded sadder than she'd hoped, trying to avoid showing any of the emotions she felt inside. Garfield only stared at her, wondering why she suddenly seemed so glum, though he chose to ignore it, Rachel's body language clearly saying "Don't bring it up."

"Goodnight Rae, sorry about tonight. I'll see you in the morning." He smiled and gave her a small hug, something she was not expecting. She returned it and was grateful that contrary to all her fears, nothing had changed. She pulled away and headed to her room.

"Goodnight." She called out to the dining room receiving "night" and waves from her roommates. The sound of the toilet flushing near her room telling her that Vic's date was most likely staying the night. She smirked as she entered her room and put on her pajamas. Settling into her bed, she plugged her phone into the charger and laid it down.

 _BZZZ BZZZ_

 _New Message from Gar_

How did he always seem to know right when she was lying down in bed? He always had perfect timing to catch her when she was laying her phone down. Opening the phone, she looked at the message.

 _Hey Rae, I know you said you were going to bed but I wanted to tell you something really quick privately, but I was roped into a game of quarters so I hope text is ok to you. I don't know what was bothering you right before you went to bed, and I hope it wasn't me who made you look so down. I'm sorry if I did it._

 _Reply: No, it wasn't you; just something I remembered made me a little sad._

 _New Message from Gar: Whatever it was, you don't have to hide in your room and face it alone. I'm sure you feel completely alone in some things, but I just want to remind you that you're not alone. I'm here if you want someone to talk to, and Kori Vic and Dick are always here to listen to you I'm sure._

She stared long and hard at her messages _you're not alone_ being her main focus. It was the same thing Kori had used to get her out of her room after _He_ broke her heart. She spent days not being seen, she stopped going to school, quit her job and just hid. Shoving the emotions from it back down, she finally decided on her reply.

 _New Message from Rae: Thanks Gar, you're always a good friend. Goodnight, see you in the morning._

Garfield sighed and put his phone away. Part of him wished she would open up to him, but he knew things like that usually took time for people like Rachel. He settled on being supportive and reminding her that he wasn't going anywhere. When he finally went to bed, he focused on the question of what he wanted from Rachel until he finally fell asleep. Just a short walk away, Rachel tossed and turned in her bed, her sleep restless and her dreams unforgiving. She saw _His_ face, and heard his voice "Sorry Rach, I wasn't looking for anything serious, just some fun, if you caught feelings it's not my fault, and I don't think I can be your friend if you're going to act like this". Then his face morphed, to a softer, kinder one, blond spiky hair replacing he shaggy black hair, his voice taking a more husky quality, then she heard Garfield's voice "I'm sorry Rae, I didn't mean anything by those kisses, you were just my friend. I don't know if I can hang out with you as much anymore, things are just too weird." She called out in her sleep, sweating and crying as the vision of Garfield walking away, Terra on his arm faded away. She was crying and hugging herself in her bed.

"Gar, wait, please don't leave!" Garfield bolted awake from his sleep. He'd heard Rachel call out for him. As he headed for her door, concerned for her, he could hear soft cries coming from just beyond her door. He stood there, just for a moment, listening to them. She was obviously distraught and he wanted desperately to comfort her. He grabbed her doorknob couldn't quite bring himself to turn it more than an inch. Hearing another sob, he turned it fully and opened the door, Rachel's head whipping around to him, remembering that she'd failed to lock her door.

 **Afterword: Cliffhanger, sorry, but this chapter was getting very long and what happens next is a chapter all in its own. Don't worry its already written, probably even edited. It will come shortly.**


	7. Still Heating

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans are the property of DC comics and I am not gaining any sort of compensation for this work. This is purely a work of fiction so any similarities to situations or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.**

 **Author's Note: Things are happening! So I left you all with a bit of a cliffhanger but I wrote like a mad woman to try and get the continuation out the next day. Chapter 5's word count just exploded, I think from the insane amount of stuff that was going on. This fanfiction now has nearly as many words as I have written for the novel I've worked on for a year. We will learn a bit more about Rachel in this chapter, more of her past and what that dream was about. Garfield will tell a little tale as well. I tweaked the origin story a little to fit my needs.**

 **Shout out to Gothic Butterfly for being so awesome about reviewing frequently, another reader keeping me motivated to write more.**

 **1.** **Still Heating**

Rachel hugged her knees as she cried, softly, trying not to wake anyone in the house. The hurt from losing nearly everyone she ever loved in her life washing over her like a cold rain. She thought she heard footsteps in the hallway and quieted her cries more, trying to hide the fact that she was an emotional wreck. Then the door swung open and she whipped her head around to look at the intruder, remembering that she had forgotten to lock the door before lying down for the night. She could only see his silhouette and his eyes, the moonlight dancing off the green.

"Gar?" she said with a shaky voice, not really sure that Garfield was truly there. "What're you doing in my roo-" Before she could finish her thought, she was wrapped up again in his warm arms. He held her head close to his chest, shushing her and stroking her hair.

"Don't worry Rae, I'm not going anywhere. It's going to be ok, it was just a dream." He was doing his best to comfort her, making circles over her back with his other hand. "Its ok if you have to cry, let it out, I'm here for you." And with that the flood gates opened. Rachel started sobbing softly into his chest, finding great comfort in the embrace. She let all the emotions from her dream escape her, even the fading face of her mother, smiling softly at her as she waved goodbye. She gripped the fabric of his T-shirt tightly as she cried, and he held her until the last sobs finished wracking her body.

He sat there stroking her hair softly; the wet spot where her once warm tears were caught on his shirt was turning cold. Her shaking slowly subsided and he kept his embrace firm. She sniffled and broke their embrace enough to reach out for a tissue on her nightstand; she wiped her eyes then her nose, and then buried her face back into his chest, wanting the warmth he provided. They sat there for what felt like an eternity and finally feeling sleepy; Garfield lay down with her and pulled the blanket over them. He decided to deal with what this meant in the morning, focusing now on making sure she felt safe and comforted. Rachel didn't protest when he moved her to be cradled next to him, her head still on his chest, she only snuggled in closer, allowing him to get comfortable and moving her weight off his arm. They both finally fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms with no sign of moving.

When dawn broke a few short hours later, Rachel squinted into the light, wondering what time it was. She looked at Garfield, her body still cradled by his and wondered if she truly wanted to leave his warmth and process the position they were in, or stay in bed and wait for him to wake up. Her bladder winning, she got up and headed to the restroom, her sudden absence stirring Garfield, as he began stretching and groaning in the morning light. She gave him a small smile and slipped out into the hall toward the bathroom. Garfield stretched out again and debated getting up. He decided to wait in the bed, for Rachel to return.

The door swung open silently and she shut it, turning the knob to avoid the clicking sound of the door and locking it. She turned around and was almost shocked to see Garfield lying casually in her bed, his head propped up on his elbow, blankets covering below his waist. She noticed he'd taken his t-shirt off and was now in his muscle shirt. He patted the bed next to him, inviting her to join him back under the blankets. Without thinking, she obliged and scooted in next to him, while he held the blankets open for her to get in. She didn't curl up next to him, only stared at him, a little baffled on how they'd reached this point.

"How are you feeling today? A little better? Did you sleep ok?" Garfield placed his hand on her hip, pulling her back into him. She scooted in and wrapped him in a hug.

"I feel much better, thank you. And thank you for last night, I don't know what came over me, I have nightmares regularly but last night they were particularly bad." She breathed him in, the smell of her laundry detergent and shampoo mixing with his cologne.

"Feel like talking about it? I know dreams like that can be rough. If the way we're laying makes you uncomfortable, we can always talk over a cup of coffee." He looked down at her and tried to be as accommodating as he could. She'd shown him a side of her he'd never known existed and was carefully tip toed the edge, making sure he didn't scare her off.

"This is fine, it's just this once." She turned over to get more comfortable and Garfield moved to get up. "Where are you going?" she asked him as he scooted to the edge of her bed.

"I'm going to use the bathroom, I'll be right back." He said, smiling at her as he made his way to the door. She heard the toilet flush and the sink run as he washed his hands. He came back into her room, locking the door again and climbed back into the bed, snuggling closely behind her with his arm around her middle.

"So what was your dream about?" She could feel his breath on her neck and realized just how close they were, the rumble of his voice vibrating into her back.

"I have this nightmare, almost every night. It starts with the last time I saw my mom. I was getting ready to leave back to school after spending the holiday home." She said, sounding venerable, she rarely spoke about her mom to anyone, and never mentioned this dream to a soul.

"I'm backing my car out of the driveway, she's standing there, waving goodbye and smiling. I back away further and she starts fading. I jump to the day the police came to my apartment, tell me my mother was in fact missing and there were signs of forced entry. Then I see my father's face, smiling like in the mugshot the detective gives me. He was the prime suspect in her disappearance. Apparently, around the time I turned 18, he started contacting my mom about me. I never knew this. Then his smile fades to another face, one telling me I'm beautiful." She failed to give Garfield the detail that this face was during a moment of intimacy, her head swimming high on the post coital ecstasy. "Then his face turns to confusion, he tells me I wasn't something serious, just a friend he liked to have fun with. He tells me that he can't see me anymore; I've made things too weird. Then I see my ex-fiancé's face 'Rachel, you're just too closed off, I don't see how we could have a future together when you won't even let me in anymore.' He says a pained look on his face. Then he leaves. It's always the same. Every night, last night there were a few differences, but the pain is still the same." Her voice shook as she recalled the dream. Every person she'd lost over the years clear in her mind's eye, their words cutting through her like a cold wind.

"You were engaged once?" Garfield was trying to keep her talking, keep her from closing up again.

"I was, he was a nice guy I met in high school. We went to college together and lived in a small apartment alone. We got engaged when I was a year away from graduating and decided to get married after graduation. Then my mom went missing and they were looking for my dad. He was under a ton of stress from school so I kept him out of my own problems. Apparently I closed myself completely off from him and he was no longer ok with being with someone who wouldn't open up to him. By trying to protect him from my problems, I pushed him away." She looked at her left hand where the simple ring once sat and remembered that once she was very happy to be engaged, it made her feel normal after all the strange circumstances around her birth and childhood.

"He sounds like a dumbass, who would throw such a wonderful person away when they were going through a hard time like that. I know what it's like to lose your parents." He said, unconsciously pulling her tighter against him.

"What happened to your parents?" Rachel found herself suddenly very curious about Garfield, after laying so much of her bare.

"They were geneticists. They were trying to use animal DNA to cure a disease in Africa. They found their cure but it only worked on one patient. I spent the first few years of my life in Africa and would probably have grown up there if they hadn't passed away. We were taking a raft to a pretty remote village. We hit some dangerous water and my dad got me onto a tree branch for safety. They didn't make it off the raft in time and their bodies were never recovered. I was found by a villager, they took me to where my parent's research facility was and I was shipped back to the US. I only had one living relative, an uncle who hated my dad, but he agreed to take me, I think because of the money my parents left behind. When he realized not even I could touch it until I was old enough, he kicked the shit out of me before I was placed in a group home. I hated it there. I left the group home when I was about 11 and lived on the streets until Rita found me. She and Steve adopted me and I've been with them ever since. They've been my parents and never treated me like I wasn't their own." He said, and Rachel could feel the gratitude he held for his adoptive parents.

"Sounds like you had it rough." Rachel tucked her hair behind her ear and Garfield had to stop himself from touching her now exposed neck.

"What was your mom like?" He asked, wanting to also ask about her dad.

"My mom met my dad when she was just 15, after she'd fallen into a bad crowd. He was in his late twenties and took a liking to her right away. Her friends set them up and they dated for a year before my father started demanding sex from her. He slipped something in her drink on her 16th birthday and raped her. My mom, being the runaway she was, couldn't get the police to believe her, my father was from a powerful family. By the time they'd had sex, she was at the age of consent so they couldn't even get him for sex with a minor. My mom got pregnant and ran. She made it to this small town for single parents who were victims of domestic violence which is where I was born. She lived there until she disappeared. She hid well from my father but when I left for college, she put herself back on the radar and he found her. He wanted to get in touch with me and she filed a restraining order. She had just gotten it finalized when I visited her for the last time. She disappeared and my whole life fell apart. I left school and tried to find them. That's what brought me from Gotham to Jump City, last I heard, my father was in contact with some of his associates here and I moved as soon as I had the money. My trail went cold though, so I'm stuck here until I either learn more or find her." She sighed and some tension eased from her shoulders. She looked almost completely relaxed.

"Good thing you met Vic, Dick and Kori. I can't imagine what it would be like to be all alone going through this." He smiled silently thanking them for saving Rachel from being alone.

"Actually, I'd known them all for a long time before I moved here. Kori was the first person I met, she was a political refuge from overseas and she and her guardian moved to the community I grew up in. I helped her learn English and I had a friend for life. Dick and I went to school together and I often encountered him in chess club or classes and we became friends. He started dating Kori around the time we started college. Vic was once a star athlete, but when his mom died in the car accident that left him without his limbs, his dad moved to Gotham to be closer to the hospital. He was in my therapy group and somehow we became close friends. They all graduated around the time I decided to come to Jump City, Vic was coming here to go to Grad school and Richard took the position from Bruce and naturally, Kori followed, the political science program at JU's graduate school is perfect for her." She smiled remembering just how lucky she was that her friends all found themselves relocating to the very same city she was heading to.

"Wow, it's like you were all meant to all stay together." He chuckled, his chest bouncing with his words.

"I don't know what I would have done without them. They've saved me so many times. After my mom, after my engagement and after Mal." She sounded like she was lost in thought.

"Who's Mal?" Rachel winced; she didn't realize she'd said his name aloud.

"Well, I've told you this much, though you're not allowed to judge me from what I tell you next." She said, sounding almost afraid of what he would think of her.

"Me? Judge you? Not a chance." He pulled her closer and nuzzled his chin into her neck, hugging her from behind. She scooted forward to break the hug, not wanting to be in his arms when she mentioned something she was truly ashamed of.

"Mal was, a good friend. I met him at a bookshop I worked for when I first moved here. He was charming and he seemed to understand me even better than my friends. It had been a couple years since I'd ended things with my fiancé and starting finding myself falling hard for him. One night, one thing led to another and we ended up having sex. The next morning I assumed that meant we were together. He came over every few nights and we would repeat it. Watch a movie while eating dinner, fool around, have sex and some nights he would stay. I thought we were together, until he mentioned how cool it was to have such an easy going friend with benefits. Instead of clearing my feelings up there I decided to give it a try. We kept that up for a while and finally, I couldn't take hearing about him being with other women anymore so I asked to be exclusive. He called me foolish and completely ended our friendship, saying I'd made things too weird. I was crushed, I didn't want to go anywhere or do anything. When I say him come into my work a couple weeks later with his new girlfriend, I panicked and ran. I never went back; they even had to mail my last check to me. That's around the time I started working where we are now and the rest you pretty much know." She picked at some lint on the sheets and again looked lost in her thoughts.

"What an undeserving dick. He never deserved you Rae, I hope you know that. You're too good for him and the fact that he used you like that, and played with you like that is disgusting. Not for you, but for him. If I ran into him today I would-"

"You would let him walk by. Come on Gar, you're better than that." She chuckled not believing this gentle man could be capable of any violence.

"Still, he deserves a fist to the face. He could have at least laid his intentions out for you after that first night." His hand clenched to a fist and Rachel knew he wanted to be the one to deliver the fist to Mal's face. He wasn't the first guy in Rachel's life who wanted to, and he probably wouldn't be the last. She got more comfortable, all her tension completely eased for the time being, she had never let so much off her chest before and she was starting to feel like she could sleep again.

"Yo! Greenbean, where you at, let's make some breakfast." Rachel and Garfield scrambled out of the bed, panicked and unsure of how to explain that they'd shared a bed for the night. Vic was in the kitchen, meaning they both had just enough time to relocate and make sure they did not appear suspicious. Rachel opened the door quietly and headed toward the kitchen, Gar heading into the bathroom to make it seem he'd just woken up.

"Hey Vic, I think he's in the toilet, the door's closed." Rachel said, still flushed from rushing out of her room.

"Hey Rae, you're up late, you don't usually sleep in like that." He smiled wide and was pulling food out of the fridge.

"Well, I was tired from the week; I figured I deserved to skip meditation just one day. Want some help?" she motioned to take some of what was in his hands.

"You can make the waffles, the maker is timed so just mix the batter, pour it, close it, flip it when it dings then take them out when it dings again." He was nervous about letting her cook for them. Sure, Rachel could grill a mean streak, but she was inept for most other recipes.

"Don't give me that look, there's no way even I could mess this up." She smiled at him and he returned the smile, happy to see she was in good spirits after the night before.

"Morning dudes, want some help?" Garfield rounded the corner into the kitchen and offered his assistance. Rachel put up her finger, stopping him in his tracks. She then pointed to the chair and he sat.

"No sir, you're our guest, let us feed you. Vic and I even did special shopping for you." She held up a package of faux bacon. It was made from tofu and looked like strips of glue.

"You guys didn't have to do that. Thanks." He smiled at the fact they'd thought of his vegetarian diet and prepared for it.

"Well Greenbean, you almost live here. You eat here, you party here, you sleep here, and it's only a matter of time before we consider moving your butt in here. Makes sense to get ready and get me used to cooking your nasty tofu." Vic teased while tossing the hash browns into the hot pan, the sizzle as it hit satisfying.

"About that Vic, is Dick going to actually call the contractor?" Rachel flipped the waffle as it dinged and readied a plate for when it would be done.

"Last night, after you went to bed he said it was time. He said he wanted to make room just in case Gar decided to move out of his parent's house he'd have here as an option. Time to accept it GreenBean, you're a part of this big ol' crazy family." He turned and smiled at Garfield, Rachel following suit.

"If you want to that is, we would all be happy to have you. You can have the room you've been staying in, furniture included." She smiled at him, her face surprisingly relaxed and rested. He smiled in return.

"Let me think about it, I like it here, you guys have been so kind to me, and really living with my parents isn't the best arrangement, and it's closer to work from here. I need to get some new wheels and the details first." Garfield was happy to hear that his friends were opening their home to him; the small bunk bed in the extra room was comfortable.

"Speaking of getting new wheels, you're off today right Rae?" Garfield took drink of coffee and watched her make waffles.

"Sure am, need a lift to a dealership? You've saved quite a bit of money if I recall correctly." She never turned around, focusing intently on her task.

"Yes, I have, enough for a used one, or at least a down payment." He beamed, proud of himself, though he'd never even had so much as a bank account, he'd managed to open one, save all of his spare money and get himself approved for a small loan.

"Have you called them to make sure you can pull out that much money at once?" Rachel placed a plate of tofu bacon and waffles in front of him, her hand on her hip waiting for a response.

"Rae, always looking out for me, of course, you told me to the last time I mentioned wanting to buy a car." He caught her gaze for a moment, being interrupted by Vic shouting to Kori and Richard that breakfast was ready.

"We'll go after I shower, sound fair?" she sat near him and began eating her waffles. They all laughed and joked while eating, discussing what living with Garfield would mean for all of them individually. Rachel was silent through most of breakfast, smiling softly and laughing silently to herself. Her mood didn't go unnoticed, Rachel never seemed so light and at ease and for a moment, Richard wanted to bring it up, only stopping when Kori signaled him to let it be.

"What do you think of this one, Rae?" He was not seriously considering buying a moped, only wanted to get Rachel's reaction, she'd been in high spirits and he was riding high on the elation her laughter brought him. She only rolled her eyes and checked the price of a nearby motorcycle.

"It suits you; it's just as cool as you are." She smirked and walked to a pick up at the other end of the lot, helping him narrow down his options based on what he wanted and what he could spend.

"Thanks Rae I thi- hey! Wait a second, didn't you say Mopeds are the least manly and cool thing you've ever seen when we walked by it earlier." He hopped off the bike and jogged over to her, earning only a shrug of one of her shoulders, and although he couldn't see it, he knew a smile was on her face.

"What about this? It's a little smaller than your old one but it's newer. It has low miles and gets good mileage." She motioned to the truck and looked at the sticker listing, cringing and knowing she would have to haggle with the saleswoman in the grey pencil skirt. She looked new enough that she would bend more easily. Gar opened the door and sat in the driver seat.

"It's nice, think I can afford it? Get in the passenger side and tell me how it feels." She walked around and sat in the passenger seat, appreciating the clean smell from the vinyl dash.

"We can talk them down low enough you will. I think this is really nice, look its even four wheel drive." He slumped in the seat and placed his head on the steering wheel.

"I don't know, I kind of want a cool car." She held in her laugh at this statement, she didn't realize he cared so much about looking "cool".

"It's plenty cool for you Gar; it's even lifted a bit. Look, it even has fancy seat warmers. But if it's not for you we can keep looking." They got out of the truck and walked around the entire lot, weighing their options. This was the last place they would be visiting for the day and Gar was ready to make a decision.

"I think I like the truck the best." He said as they arrived next to it again.

"Want me to call someone over?" Rachel looked again at the sticker price and scoffed.

"Yeah, I've decided, I want the truck. The motorcycle was cool but I don't see you sitting on the back of it." He rubbed the back of his head and laughed.

"Why would that sway your decision? I have my own car Gar; I don't need you to cart me around." She said, genuinely confused.

"Well, I thought it would be nice to go out to hang out with you for once. I've been such a cheapskate I think I owe you dinner or something." He smiled sheepishly at her and her face was instantly red.

"Thanks, but you don't have to. And I would." She avoided his gaze, their night still too fresh in her mind.

"You would what?" He stared at her, wishing she would look at him.

"I would ride on the back," She turned to look at him, "Given I had a helmet and you agreed to drive safely."

"Then let's go look at the bike next to the moped, I like it." He smiled and trotted off toward the motorcycle. Rachel signaled to the newbie in the pencil skirt.

After hours of haggling and long discussions about insurance and special licenses, Garfield finally settled on the truck. Though he was having fantasies about Rachel clutching him closely as they rode in the night sky while Rachel haggled the saleswoman down with an intensity he recognized from the kitchen, there were too many hoops to jump through right now to own it. Even Rachel seemed dismayed by his decision to go with the truck, though he thought it was because she would have to haggle this down as well.

The sun was setting when all the paperwork was completed. They would hold the truck overnight to detail it and run routine maintenance, as well as get his registration in order. Rachel was an artist, haggling the price so low that Garfield even had money left over to save. They hopped back into her car and waved goodbye to the saleswoman, now proudly putting a "SOLD" sign on Garfield's truck.

"Happy you're getting a new car?" Rachel pulled down the street, thankful to be done with the whole ordeal.

"God Rae, you're ruthless, you should be working for Wayne Industries, not for some kitchen. And yes I love it, that green is a great color." He smiled, looking at the truck one last time as it faded out of view. "Let me call my parents really quickly so they know I picked a car and tell them I won't be coming home tonight either."

It was rare Garfield stayed two nights in a row, usually having to head home and do some chores for his parents. He seemed to be avoiding home more and more these days and Rachel suspected it had something to do with him bumping heads with his dad more.

"Yes mom…yeah…if you want I can come home now to do it…are you sure...Ok, you'll see it's a nice truck, I almost got a motorcycle though." Rachel could here Rita yell over the phone.

"No, you most certainly will not!" She laughed as Garfield placed the phone back over his ear.

"No, I didn't though, insurance and license were too expensive…Probably soon, I've found a place, I just need to figure out the specifics…it's not that I don't like it there, I just need my own space…I'll talk to you more about it tomorrow when I bring the truck over…No way! Rachel is an expert haggler…um" he glanced at her "no mom it's not like that…I know…they're nothing alike…I promise…OK…Ok…yeah…Love you too mom, bye." He sighed deeply and placed his phone back in his pocket.

"Moms, so protective. So do you have plans tonight?" Garfield sat up in his seat, checking the receipt in his wallet. _$301.76, enough for a nice dinner and leave some left over for emergencies._

"No, not particularly, usually I just read on these nights, since Vic goes to lab and Dick and Kori go out on a date." She usually liked her alone time, though the possibility of hanging out with Garfield exited her a bit.

"Good, then when we get back, put on an outfit you like and I'm taking you out. No need to be too fancy, unless you do want to get fancy, in which case ill need some clothes." Glad she was at a red light she looked at Garfield, mouth agape.

"No Gar, no need, save your money, you've spent enough today." She said, dismissing his invitation.

"This isn't about money Rae. Can't a guy askagirloutonada-"he mumbled the last of his statement to quickly for her to really understand.

"What?" she was getting annoyed, she appreciated his friendship and didn't want him to feel like he had to repay her, not when he'd done so much for her the last night.

"Nothing, um, just, can't I take my friend out for dinner? Maybe I don't want to eat alone and I want to eat somewhere kind of nice?" He choked, failing in the clutch to say what he really wanted. The truth was, holding her had been just a therapeutic for him as it was for her. He felt at ease curled up with her, fitting perfectly together like two spoons in a drawer.

She looked at him incredulously, "Ok, where do you plan on going, so I know what to wear." Rachel hoped he didn't say anything too fancy, the best she could do was nice jeans and a blouse.

"Nothing too fancy, I only have jeans to wear so, I guess we will decide later." He smiled at her and she quickly looked back at the road, heading home to change and get ready for their night out together. She swore she heard him say the word date, but she decided it was nothing more than wishful thinking on her part. There was no way Garfield actually liked her as more than a friend, he was just too damned affectionate and it confused her.

Next to her, Garfield stewed on his words. Why couldn't he just ask her out? If she said no, she said no, it's not like they couldn't be friends after. She was so open and honest with him lately it confused him, though he was fairly certain she was not attracted to him, it never hurt to try.

 **Afterward: Next chapter is their night out alone, the buying car scene is more about showing how they interacted alone, how comfortable they are with each other and how close they've become. Next chapter has something nice coming, and to those of you asking for smut or a lemon, I'll be honest, I'm not great at writing them though I am trying. It will come, but just not yet, I need to perfect it if I'm going to use it. There will be next chapter which will include their night out and Garfield moving in and adjusting to living in the same house as Rachel, then the chapter after has something I'm sure you all have been patiently waiting for and I've tortured myself to write later rather than making Rachel like me and being blunt and honest about her feelings. I wanted to harass them with their own thoughts and doubts, building trust and affection slowly rather than jumping right into things. Thank you all for being awesome, your encouragement and feedback is appreciated.**


	8. Making a Glaze

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans are the property of DC comics and I am not gaining any sort of compensation for this work. This is purely a work of fiction so any similarities to situations or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.**

 **Author's Note: The night out is here. Thanks for being cool about the cliff hanger my dear readers; I needed time to sort one chapter into three. Here is the third part of one massive chapter that just escaped me. First part will be dinner, then a time jump to after Garfield has already moved in and how it affected their feelings for each other. You guys rock, my writing schedule has slowed a bit because work got hectic.**

 **Shout out to Camry72 for reviewing EVERY chapter and catching my little mistake with time jumps. Thanks man, I appreciate your feedback. To clarify, Kori is a waitress and is going to school, Richard is the Director for Restaurant Operations, and basically he runs all the Wayne owned restaurants, though he's focusing on the ones in Jump City.**

1\. Making the Glaze

"Why are you a vegetarian? I don't think I've ever bothered to ask." She took a bite of her eggplant parmesan, agreeing to eat at a local vegetarian Italian bistro Garfield raved about.

"I spent so much of my childhood around animals and being friends with them I couldn't bring myself to eat them. In the village my parents lived in, all the animals were kept for either food or work. I stopped eating meat because I loved animals too much to kill them just to eat." He pushed his plate aside and looked at the desert menu, settling on a lovely Tiramisu that came with a flower as garnish, something he knew Rachel would appreciate.

"And it doesn't bother you to be around it or cook it?" she took her last bite and had a drink of the wine the waiter had suggested.

"Well, you see, I've had times where I've eaten meat out of necessity, so I understand it serves a purpose. I won't eat it if I can avoid it but I will eat it if I have to. I can cook it, but I did move to middle so I can focus on something other than strips of dead flesh." He smirked at her and called the waiter over. He ordered and the waiter took away their plates and wine glasses.

"When you put it that way, it makes me feel guilty." She smiled at him softly, stifling a chuckle.

"Don't, you're an artist." He caught her gaze and held it. He wanted to tell her so much but didn't want to scare her. Rushing into everything is how he ended up in his mess with Terra and he was tired of repeating his mistakes. Rachel held his gaze, not wanting to break it, the intensity of his stare daring her to say something more. She didn't know how long they stared at each other, only breaking when the waiter returned with a beautiful Tiramisu and two coffees. A single dessert spoon rested at the edge of the plate and before Rachel could ask for another, the waiter was off to another table flagging him down.

"There's only one spoon." She said in a matter of fact sort of way, staring at it intently.

"Come on Rae, we can just share. We've kissed before, this is no worse." She looked up at him; he grabbed the spoon and picked up a small bite. He brought it to her lips and she took the bite, closing her eyes and appreciating the rich taste and smooth texture. She groaned from how good it tasted.

"Good right?" He took a bite for himself and placed the spoon back onto the plate.

"Fine we can share the spoon, but quit trying to feed me; it makes me feel like a toddler." She looked around the restaurant, seeing other tables with couples who were feeding each other their desserts.

"Sorry, its habit. Well, at least habit when I'm eating with a woman like you." He kicked himself, lines like that didn't work on women like Rachel, they only came off as disrespectful, and he didn't want to use cheesy pickup lines to win her.

"Ha." She took a bite "thank you for brining me here, the food is amazing and I love the place."

"Thank you for agreeing, no one ever wants to eat vegetarian. Have some of the coffee, you'll love it." He took the spoon she offered him and had his own bite.

"Did you ever bring Terra here? The cliché romantic atmosphere seems right up her alley." She sipped her coffee, raising her eyebrows in appreciation. It was dark and had a mild sweetness, not overly bitter like most coffee she drank.

"No, I tried but she didn't like that she couldn't get meat and hard liquor. She's not much of a beer and wine drinker, well, unless she's drunk." He sipped his coffee and looked out into the street.

"Her loss, this place is amazing." Rachel handed Garfield the last of the dessert and picked up her coffee.

"I'm glad she didn't." he was still staring out of the window they sat near, not looking at her.

"Why's that" She said, cocking her head a little in confusion.

"It would have muddied the nice time I had with you here with bad memories. I'm glad you're the only one I've made memories here with. Usually I eat here alone, and even then I just order takeout. Thank you for joining me." He turned and smiled at her, and she returned the smile, hiding how it widened by taking a drink. A silence washed over them, Garfield never breaking his gaze. Rachel looked down into her coffee and stared at her reflection in the dark surface.

"I had a great time. Thank you for bringing me here." She never looked away from her coffee. Her hand rested on the table next to it and she felt his hand cover hers. She looked up at him, a serious look on his face.

"Rachel, I-"the sound of his ringing phone broke his train of thought. They stared at each other for a moment until he moved his hand and checked his phone. _Call from Terra_.

"I need to change my number" He slumped in his seat. "Sorry, I forgot to turn it off."

"It's ok, it happens. Terra again, huh?" She pulled her hand away from the table and drank her coffee.

"Yeah, I really need to either block her or change my number." He sat forward and drank the last of his coffee.

"You can block her from your phone you know." She held her hand out, offering to help him block the number.

"You can! Sweet, can you show me how?" He handed her his phone after unlocking it and she froze at the background. It was a picture of the two of them, smiling with each other, and his arm around her. She wondered if Terra used to occupy his background and set to block her number.

"So what you do is go into the settings and block the contact here, it will block all emails calls and messages from any number you list for her here. Are you sure you want to do this Gar?" She handed him his phone back, leaving the screen on the block options.

"Absolutely." He pressed the button to add Terra and breathed a sigh of relief. He felt as though he'd finally taken a big step toward a better future, one he found himself hoping would include Rachel.

"So what do you feel like doing after this?" the night was still early and Rachel was curious if he intended to spend the evening with her or go back to his usual business until everyone returned home and they most likely would get no more time for themselves.

"Well, feel like keeping me company until everyone gets home?" He smiled at her.

"Sounds like fun, what shall we do next?" She checked her own phone for the time and waived for the waiter to bring the check.

"How about we rent a movie?" he smiled at her, secretly fantasizing about curling up with her in her bed and watching a movie, snuggled tightly under the blanket.

"Sounds good, wait until you see the theatre Dick has, it's all hidden behind wall panels." He deflated slightly at her suggestion but shook it away, remembering that Rachel would take time to win, and he knew she would be worth it.

Safe. That's the only word she could use to describe how she felt lying next to him. It had been a full month since Garfield moved in. Every couple nights she would have a nightmare, and every time, he came into her room and lay next to her. Every time he came in, he stayed until dawn and made his way back into his room for more sleep while she meditated. They're nights together, though innocent as they were, were a deep secret they kept from all who knew them. They'd grown even closer, needing no words when nights like tonight happened. Some nights, he just came in after everyone had fallen asleep, her nightmares not needing to plague her before he came in and held her. She hadn't slept so well in years, all the pain and fear from her past washing away as he enveloped her in his arms.

When she'd helped him move, she was so nervous she felt her hands shake. Meeting his parents proved to be incredibly intimidating, though they were kind and friendly. Steve shook her hand and thanked her for helping Garfield so much, and Rita cryptically saying "You're right son, they are nothing alike" Before smiling at Rachel and shaking her hand. She invited her for some tea, saying the men could load the truck. In her interaction with Rita, she'd learned that Steve and Rita were incredibly old fashioned, much like a married couple from the 60s, and were worried for their son's wellbeing while he lived with others they'd never met. Before she left, Rita asked Rachel to look after Garfield and said she believed he'd be in good hands.

Now, she slept next to Garfield, looked after by him, and in his caring hands. Though they weren't dating and had done no more than hug in the month they'd lived together, sharing a bed felt deeply intimate to her. Her nightmares now gone, except for rare occasions, she was also more rested and relaxed than she'd been in years. She found every morning it was harder and harder to leave the warmth of the bed, though the idea of being caught was a good motivator. She looked out at the hand in front of her, his arm cradling her. Gingerly, she placed her hand over his, and he tightened his fingers as a reflex, locking her hand on his. She tugged he hand, trying to free it, her bladder asking to be emptied.

"If you didn't want to hold my hand, why are you grabbing for it." He sounded sleepy still and tightened his grip on her. She looked over his shoulder, a small smile on his face, though his eyes were still shut.

"I need to go to the bathroom." She smiled, though he couldn't see it. He released her hand and huffed.

"Fine, but come back, no one is getting up early today, they all just went to bed a couple hours ago." He yawned and stretched, wanting more sleep. She smiled and only nodded, sneaking out of her room and into the bathroom. When she returned, he'd moved to his back, rubbing his eyes in the morning light. She lay down next to him, laying her head on his chest while his arm wrapped around her. A yawn escaped him and he pulled her closer.

"Rae, not that I don't like sharing a bed with you, but there's something that's been on my mind." Garfield's words rumbled through his chest, sending small shivers down Rachel's spine. She always tried to leave her room before he woke up fully, she was avoiding the coming conversation, fearing he would either meet another woman an no longer want to sleep in the same bed as her, or just find it inappropriate.

"It's too early to talk about something so serious." She sighed and tried to deflect the conversation again.

"Come on Rae I'm serious. I need to know what this all means to you." He turned and wrapped his other arm around her.

"What do you mean? We're close friends and you help me sleep better than I have in years. I'm grateful to have you in my life and I care a lot about you." She was avoiding his real question, saying things that went unsaid.

"Raeeee, come on, you know what I mean. Stop dancing around the subject." He rolled back on to his back and stretched again, it was far too early for Rachel to be discussing this and she wanted no part in it.

"Do we have to do this now? We will talk about it when we have to." She moved to get up, Garfield's arm stopping her.

"I _have_ to talk about this now Rae. Just look at me. Tell me what it means to you, and you can't say it's just friendship, because I don't see you inviting anyone else to sleep with you every night." He looked at her pleadingly, there was no excuse for her to leave quickly, they were both off from work and neither had any plans for the day. The only thing they raced for was to not be caught together, which, if Garfield had his way, wouldn't matter.

"Gar, look, this is something that I don't want to ruin our friendship over." She finally broke free and began pacing in her room, the dark curtains where light peaked through occasionally illuminating her face.

"Is it because you're embarrassed? Rae, I don't think anyone would care that you get frequent nightmares. Unless you're embarrassed that it's me. If that's the case just say it. Stop being so mysterious and just say what you're thinking." Garfield got up and was standing in front of her, his anger pooling from him unexpectedly. She stopped short, looking up at him, anger flashing in her eyes.

"What? You think I'm embarrassed of you? Gar, no, that's not it at all," she placed a hand on his arm and looked up at him, something clearly on her mind, "I care about you Gar, I love our friendship, I haven't connected with anyone like this since Kori Dick and Vic. They're all so busy I hate to bother them but you're always there, whether I ask you to be or not. It's not that I expect you to be there, and I've tried to give you your freedom but you're still always there. I don't want to do or say anything that would change this."

Gar choked out a laugh, a friend, of course. He was always the friend. The funny guy girls came crying to when things went wrong with their boyfriends. Hell, the only reason Terra even gave him a chance was because she was having a hard time coping with a breakup. He was the rebound, and he was grateful it lasted as long as it did. The first year being pure heaven, until it all came crashing down on him.

"So I'm just a substitute for a real boyfriend then? The safe option until you meet someone worth your time?" He laughed bitterly, Terra's betrayal coming back into his mind.

Rachel balked at his words. He wasn't the substitute, he was all she needed. She made their friendship clear every time he brought this up, more for her than for him. She didn't want to catch any unwanted feelings. True, at times he felt more like a boyfriend than a friend, but she sternly reminded herself otherwise. She guarded her heart from the same heartache she was all too familiar with. She stood silently, her arms going around her middle.

"No Gar, you're not a substitute. I'm not planning on meeting anyone better then you any time soon. I just don't want to…I don't want to…" _I don't want to think we're something more when we aren't_ were the words she couldn't quite get out.

"What Rae, what? Just fucking say it already. You can feel it too, can't you?" He reached for her hand and she pulled it away, using it to play with the necklace around her neck.

"I guess not." His voice was just above a whisper, and Rachel stared at the floor. The sound of her door broke her from her thoughts and she felt tears form in her eyes.

"What have I done? Oh Gar, what did I do?" She let the tears flow freely and lay on her bed, grabbing the pillow he'd used. She'd done it again, pushed another person she loved away, and now was not the time for sunshine and singing birds. Down the hall, Gar slumped against his closed door, how could he be so stupid to think that she felt that way about him? The sad truth being that if she still needed him at night, he would be there for her, not wanting to lose that connection with her though he was unsure if she would allow him in again.

"I'm such a fucking pathetic idiot."

 **Afterward: So we are nearing the scene I'm fighting to write. I will let you all know in the author's note of the next chapter if I was successful or just scrapped it. Thank you all for being so awesome! This story got a ton of followers last chapter and it was such a lovely surprise! Keep being awesome!**


	9. Presentation

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans are the property of DC comics and I am not gaining any sort of compensation for this work. This is purely a work of fiction so any similarities to situations or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.**

 **THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS DRINKING AND A SEX SCENE, IF YOU ARE NOT OLD ENOUGH TO ENJOY THE "M" RATING ON THIS STORY, PLEASE FIND ANOTHER TO ENJOY. THERE ARE SOME GREAT WRITERS FOR "T" AND LOWER OUT THERE, LIKE TheForceIsStrongWithThisOne's** ** _8 years later_** **, or calicoToones'** ** _Tears Never Dry in Azarath,_** **those are two of my favorites.**

 **Author's note: So…Here it is. I did write it, though I'm still a bit iffy on it. For those of you not interested in reading smut, it will be the end of the chapter and I will place a warning before it happens so you get to enjoy the build-up and the next chapter will pick up right where you left off with no continuity issues. I almost didn't write this, but I had requests for it. I did my best, but I know some readers aren't big on scenes like this, so I'm doing my best to make sure everything still makes perfect sense for you, treating the smut like filler.**

1\. Presentation

Three days, three agonizing, silence filled, lonely sleepless days passed for the two. Rachel looked haggard, the mix of nightmares and guilt over their fight weighed heavily on her mind. Garfield looked fine but was noticeably grumpy, keeping to himself and not joking. Rachel avoided everyone, only being seen in passing and at work, leaving no time to talk about her mood. Garfield was sullen and found ways to avoid the house until he knew Rachel was asleep. To anyone watching, it would look like he was busy with personal business, but Rachel knew, he was avoiding the house to avoid her. They spoke only when necessary at work, preparing for the restaurant to be closed for a week while necessary upgrades were to be made. It was going to be a long week unless they reconciled. Vic, mistaking their sullen moods as being overworked and burnt out, decided to throw a small bonfire for the restaurant staff.

"Listen up y'all, I'm finished with my study program, and after this week I'll be working full time at the lab, so this is also my goodbye party, you're not allowed to skip it and you have to promise to have a good time. No Rae, you can't skip it, so don't even ask." Vic bellowed into the kitchen at the start of his shift, his invitation extending to the entire staff. Planning the whole event proved to be easier than he'd originally expected the hard part was getting people to show up.

The night of the party, Garfield sat hopelessly in his closet, not sure of what to wear. Vic mentioned it was "dress to impress" and he hadn't a clue of what that really meant. Settling on black jeans and a Green dress shirt, he debated between 3 ties, unsure of what qualified as a match.

"Can someone come in here and help me please? Preferably one of the ladies?" He shouted into the hallway.

"I am naked, Rachel will come shortly." Kori shouted back from her room. Rachel chewed her lip, wishing she hadn't been in the room with Kori, waiting for the last minute to place her outfit on. Sure it was dress to impress, but it was also a bonfire, and she was not ruining her favorite dress for the occasion. She knocked on Garfield's door softly, heading in when she heard him invite her in.

"What can I help with?" She tried to sound friendly and helpful, maintaining a cordial interaction.

"Which tie should I wear? Should I even wear a tie? I thought this was a bonfire, why is it dress to impress?" His questions all came out like a flood, as if he'd held them all in since finding out the details of the party.

"It's less of a bonfire and more that we have a small fire pit out back, it's in a cemented and landscaped area with seats. There's a small bar out there too. You don't have to wear a tie if you don't want but if you decide to get a little tipsy remember to take it off so you don't accidentally catch fire, and in my opinion, that one is the best." She pointed to a black and forest green tie, the stripes diagonal and wide. The tie itself was thin and best matched his shirt.

"I might be dumb enough to put my faith in the wrong people but I know how to make sure I don't catch fire." He threw the other ties on the bed and began looping the tie around his neck. "Thanks, that's all I needed. You should probably get dressed." She stepped back to the door and paused for a moment before heading out.

"I never said you were stupid, I just want to make sure you're safe." She headed out of the room before he could respond.

"Good job Gar, she was being nice and you just _had_ to be a dick." He whispered to himself bitterly as he straightened the tie.

Rachel headed toward her room before being caught from behind by someone. Skinny arms wrapped around her and she saw a wash of pink hair out of the corner of her eye,

"Hey Rach, what're you wearing tonight?" Jen, a pink-haired friend of Rachel's, smiled brightly at Rachel. She was wearing a black cocktail dress, the straps so thin they looked like they'd snap with the slightest tug.

"Hey, I'm surprised you came, I didn't think you would after everything that happened with Vic." Rachel headed to her room, Jen quick on her heels.

"I've got a new guy, so it's all ancient history to me now. So what're you wearing?" Jen followed Rachel in to her room and took in the outfit on the bed. "God please tell me not _that."_ She pointed to the jeans and blouse on the bed with disgust.

"As a matter of fact yes, do you have a problem with that? It's a bonfire not a classy dinner." Rachel cocked her hip and defended her choice.

"Be right back." Jen headed out of the room and returned shortly after with a black pencil skirt, no doubt from Kori.

"No. Way." Rachel protested as Jen hunted in her closet for a pair of violet heels and a short sleeved violet blouse Rachel had never worn.

"Yes."

"No."

"Raaaach."

"No, why even bother."

"Because I hear a cute green eyed guy lives here now, and Kori and I agree it's time you make a move." She handed the skirt and blouse to Rachel, a sly smile on her face.

"He doesn't think of me like that, we're just friends." Rachel looked down, her voice soft.

"Please Rach, there's no way he can miss what a knockout you are. Wear this tonight and he won't be able to keep his hands off you." Jen laid the clothes onto the bed and grabbed Rachel's hand. "Or don't do it for him, do it for you. Be sexy for a night, let yourself shine, you need it, I hear you've been so sad lately. We all just want to see you happy."

"Kori told you huh?" Rachel grabbed the clothes and started slipping into the skirt, thankful she'd shaved while in the shower.

"No, Vic did." Rachel froze and looked at Jen. "The other day actually, when he invited me to the party. He said you've been down and looked like you needed your friends. I know we aren't that close, but I'm still your friend."

"Thanks." Rachel smiled and finished getting dressed, doing her last button in the mirror to appreciate the outfit she was wearing. The tight skirt and fitted blouse hugging her form, her curves something she was not accustomed to seeing. She suddenly felt very exposed and wondered if this was too much.

"Stop being so conservative, you look great. Fix your hair and makeup, I want a drink, and from what I can gather, you desperately need one." Jen headed out of the room, giving Rachel time alone at her vanity.

"Did she agree?" Kori leaned against the doorframe, a silk pink dress hung to her figure.

"Of course, I'm a pro." She held her hand up as she walked by, sharing a quiet high five.

"Now we need to get her relaxed and courageous. Or at least relaxed." Kori had a devious smirk on her face. While she'd never get her best friend drunk and try to have her hook up with someone, she could at least help Rachel to admit her feelings.

"I've got you covered there. I won't get her drunk, just unwound." Jen smirked back.

"Good, he won't know what hit him." Kori sauntered into the living room, preparing for the night's events.

"Not when I'm involved" Jen chased after Kori, ready to parade Rachel around and let her out of her shell a bit. The two women waited on a pair of barstools for Rachel to make her entrance.

"Ladies, you both look lovely tonight." Garfield tugged at his collar uncomfortably. He hated wearing ties.

"Gar, my dear friend, do you wish to help Dick with setting up in the back?" Kori motioned outside where Vic was carrying a large amount of alcohol to the outside bar.

"Sure Kor." He walked out the back door and walked over to Dick and out of earshot.

"Now we wait." Jen looked toward to hall way and checked the clock, the first guests would be arriving soon. "Rach, come on princess, we haven't got all night."

In her room, Rachel was ready, she was dressed and her hair done in lovely waves. Her makeup was subtle but completely accentuated her features. She was more than ready; she just couldn't bring herself to leave her room, suddenly feeling very foolish for putting so much effort into her appearance for nothing.

 _BANG BANG BANG_ "Rach, move your ass, come on lets goooooo, people are going to show up soon and I want to get a drink before they rush the bar and make a mess." Jen's banging on the door shook her from her thoughts and she stood up, making sure she was sure footed before heading out to the hallway. People were already pooling into the house, some bringing drinks with them, others bringing food. The house was already getting loud and Rachel was thankful for the large yard. She took the stool between Kori and Jen and observed everyone in their best digs walking around the house, one heading to turn on music.

"Let's head outside, it's about to get incredibly loud soon." Kori and Jen nodded and lead the way outside. They headed up the little pathway leading from the back porch, through the grass in their yard to a small sitting area, Vic's laugh carrying over every other sound from the party. Cheers were heard as a fire roared to life.

"Hey girls, what can I getcha?" Vic asked from behind the bar, Dick walked to place his arm around Kori and Gar looked up, stopping completely as Rachel came into view. His breathe caught and he had to force himself to stop staring, he'd never seen her dressed so provocatively, though she was wearing a conservative outfit. From the corner of his eye, he appreciated the way her skirt hugged her hips, and the way her neck line dipped just low enough to hint to the promises below. She looked like a knock out and he wondered why she didn't dress this way more often, she'd have her pick of men in his opinion. Though she showed less skin than Kori and Jen, and her makeup and hair more subtle, she was more enticing, her button down appearance matching her stern personality perfectly, though it made him fantasize about what would happen if she allowed herself to completely unwind. She looked like a librarian, the kind you found in the novels with a rugged explorer on some quest, her smarts matching perfectly with the hero's brawn, cracking wise and spurning the hero's advances until the very end. Garfield secretly liked trashy romance novels.

Rachel could feel his eyes on her, she'd noticed as he examined her figure before looking away, though she still felt like she was being watched. She had to admit, the way his shirt clung to his chest and arms sent her heart racing. She was no stranger to ogling attractive men from time to time, and Garfield was by no means the best body she'd looked at, he had a rugged appeal to him and she knew just how tight the wiry muscles below his shirt were. Their attraction to each other was obvious to everyone but each other and their friends had to fight the urge to expose them to each other.

"Rach, gin and tonic as per your usual? Or can I talk you into a shot." Jen hadn't waited for an answer, only handing the gin and tonic into Rachel's left hand, and a shot of liquor into her right. Rachel hated taking shots, it was the habit of those who liked to lose control, and Rachel was all about maintaining her control.

"What is this? It smells like paint thinner and sugar." She wrinkled her nose at the smell and her stomach turned in anticipation for it.

"It's supposed to taste like whipped cream, stop whining and just take it, you have another waiting right behind it." Jen threw her shot back in a smooth motion and winced at the taste. Rachel followed suit, the burn from the shot burning her throat.

"Vodka…" she said between coughs "I thought we agreed I don't drink vodka anymore." She sipped her cocktail, trying to get the taste out of her mouth.

"Why don't you drink vodka, it's not much different from Gin." Garfield placed another log onto the fire and walked over to Vic for his own drink, begrudgingly accepting a shot. He threw it back and nearly gagged from the taste. Rachel wasn't being dramatic, it was awful.

"Because Vodka makes Rachel frisky." Jen threw her second shot back and avoided the daggers Rachel glared at her.

"That's not it, it makes me sick. I had a little too much because of pinky here and now it makes me a little sick." Rachel motioned to Jen and stared at her second shot.

"Unless you drink enough of it, don't forget that detail. And it did make her frisky, she just wants to forget that part," Jen winked at Garfield, a gesture Rachel did not notice. "Take the damned shot Rach, you always keep so controlled, time to loosen up a little."

"Would you feel better if I did one with you?" Kori walked over to Rachel, a shot in her own hand.

"Why don't we all take one together?" Vic had a bar lined up with shots of the deplorable liquor. Garfield grabbed his shot and stood near Rachel, if he was going to make faces, he wanted to make sure he was near someone else who would also.

"Bottoms up!" Vic toasted and they all took their shots in quick movements, faces turning into disgust at the taste and the burn.

"Oh God that is terrible." Garfield winced, trying to get the taste out of his mouth.

"Here, it will help." Rachel handed him her drink and he drank some of it down, the lime and juniper killing the burn in his mouth.

"Thanks" he handed her the drink and she only nodded in return, the silence between them growing awkward. Vic exchanged glances with Kori and Jen, and then nodded with a devious smirk on his face.

"Drinking games y'all, it's time to show what you're made of." Kori leaned into Jen, whispering to keep her words private.

"Remember, we have to watch her, we want her relaxed not drunk." She sat on Dick's lap, enjoying the warmth of the fire. Jen scoffed, as if to say "Of course." And she settled in a chair next to Rachel, ready to help her friend admit to the secret she kept buried deep.

"Never have I ever hooked up with someone in public." The shy red headed dishwasher said, holding 5 fingers up proudly. Vic, Jen and a few other waitresses were sitting on 3 fingers, jeers being heard as Vic and Jen each placed a finger down and begrudgingly took a drink. Loud jeers broke through the crowd. Rachel and Garfield each had one finger down, responding to the question of being engaged. Jen's turn finally came, and dark look flashed across her face, seeking revenge for the lead she'd gained in the game.

"Never have I ever gone skinny dipping." Rachel and Kori blushed and exchanged a glance, putting their fingers down and taking a drink each.

"NO WAY!" Dick exclaimed. "When was this?"

"Back in college. Light weights one and two had a little too much vodka. The place they were renting from had a small pool and it was empty because the semester was over. Kori jumped in and invited Rachel in with her. It was all very innocent really." Rachel glared again at Jen, swearing that her turn would be the end of her friend.

"Who knew you were such a wild child." Vic said laughing.

"Try given too many drinks without being cut off." Rachel scoffed. Garfield was looking at her, his mouth agape. "What? You want to tell me how terrible it was too?" she snapped at Garfield "Sorry, I'm just a little embarrassed."

"Don't worry about it." He looked away, still shocked.

"We're losing her, lighten the mood Kori." Jen leaned in to whisper to Kori.

"It is my turn. And I am after revenge." She leered at everyone in the circle, if Rachel was to be embarrassed, it was only right to even the playing field. "Never have I ever tried on my roommate's clothing at her request and parade around to help her decide if it was too revealing."

Dick, Vic and Garfield all blushed; they'd all done it, completely sober, not a week before. Kori, after buying some new outfits for her upcoming job interviews, wanted to know which outfits would appear the best, though she wanted to see them side by side. Given her height, Rachel could not help, which only left the men. They all blushed and placed down their fingers and took a drink. The laughter from the whole crowd was loud and boisterous, except from Rachel, who hid her laughter behind her glass.

"You think it's funny huh? Well I will have you know I look hot in a pant suit." Garfield joked with Rachel.

"I'm sure you do, did it show off your cleavage?" She smirked at him, no longer able to hide her laugh.

"That and my ass looked amazing." She choked on her sip, laughing at his words. She was feeling warm and she couldn't tell if it was the alcohol or the familiar way he spoke to her. The two shots early in the night had done their job, and she was completely relaxed. She pulled out two cigarettes and lit them, handing one to Garfield and exhaling her own.

"Thanks, how did you know I left mine inside?" he smiled and enjoyed the burn from the smoke.

"Because you always do." Their exchange did not go unnoticed, and their friends left, heading inside to play beer pong, the night turning too cold to stay outside huddled by a fire. Rachel sighed and looked up. "Its lovely tonight, but it's getting cold again." She shivered and huddled closer to the fire.

"It is. How come you aren't drinking the good stuff I got you?" he had to appreciate the parallels from the night he nearly kissed her, before Terra came in and crushed all the good feelings from the moment.

"'I'll only drink it with you.' Remember? It's for me and you only, I don't want to share something that nice with anyone who won't appreciate it, I haven't had any since that night to be honest. It's sitting in my closet still." She took another drag and sipped her drink, wishing it was as smooth as the bottle Garfield had gifted her.

"Oh yeah? You don't have to wait on my account Rae, you can always drink it, I bought it for you to enjoy." He stubbed his cigarette out in a can near him and offered it to Rachel, who did the same.

"It doesn't taste as good alone." She said, staring into the fire, the light dancing off her face, giving her a mysterious appearance. Garfield mused that she was beautiful by the fire light.

"Get a boyfriend and drink it with him." He hadn't meant to sound so bitter, but it was true to his feelings. He didn't want to share something special with her if it came with the same feelings he had the day they'd argued.

"No, it still won't taste as good as when it's with you." She was feeling bold, most likely the alcohol doing its job of lowering her inhibitions, though she was still in complete control of her actions.

"Must be the booze talking Rae, I'm nothing special remember? Just your friend, you throw it in my face all the time." He looked away and loosened his tie, suddenly very tense and uncomfortable.

"I never said you weren't special. You're very special to me Gar, more than you see. I don't think I could handle losing you to be completely honest." She turned and looked at him, her face determined, almost sultry.

"Mmm that's right, your dear friend. So you don't have to actually get a boyfriend right? So you don't have to move on from Mal or that little Goth boy you were going to marry." It was low, even for him, but if they were being this honest, why the hell not?

"No, you fail to see it. More important than any guy I could date, and more important than either of the men in my past. For having such great vision Gar, you sure can be blind sometimes." She sat forward and undid a button on her shirt, now that she wasn't around the large crowd of the party; there was no use in avoiding sending mixed signals with her clothes. She removed her heels and rubbed the back of her ankles.

"Me? Blind? Then you must be deaf as well as blind. Or maybe you're a mute since you can't say anything you're thinking." He completely removed his tie and rolled up his sleeves just below his elbows.

"You must be the deaf one when I'm so clearly saying what's on my mind now. Jeez Gar, do I have to spell it out for you?" She huffed and tucked her legs beneath her, taking another sip and contemplating another cigarette, though the alcohol emboldened her, her nerves were still on edge, stopping her from just saying everything outright.

"Alright Rae, I'm the dumb one then. I'm going in for my smokes, want another drink?" He said while standing up. She stood as well, so fast he almost hadn't seen her move. Her hands when to his cheeks and she pulled him down to her lips. She kissed him softly, her heart pounding in her ears as his arms went around her back to pull her to him. They separated after just a ghost of a kiss, her hands sliding down his shoulders and to his chest. She looked up at him, worry crossing her face,

"You know I dig you right?" Garfield had to stifle his chuckle "dig" was not a word Rachel used.

"Oh yeah? I think you might be drunk." He began to pull away and she grabbed his arms, stopping his retreat.

"I'm not drunk Gar, if I was, I'd be puking right now, I can't hold my liquor very well and you've seen me drink more than this." She looked at him pleadingly, her hands squeezing almost unnoticeably tighter on his bare arms. "I care about you; I have for a long time now. I didn't know how you felt, I was afraid I would ruin everything I had with you by admitting how I felt. Now, all I ask is if you don't feel the same, don't let it come between our friendships. I can respect boundaries, you don't have to sleep in my room with me anymore, or listen to me bitch about work, or any of that. Just, don't leave, stay here, with us."

"You dig me huh?" he smirked at her, bringing his lips to hers, and wrapping his arms around her again, this kiss being more complete, promising more. "You have to be drunk to use a word like that."

"I was only using words I knew you would understand." She smiled against his lips, kissing him again. She shuddered at his intensity, his hands caressing the small of her back.

"It's getting cold, maybe we should head inside. The side door open?" he kissed her again before pulling away to get his tie and her shoes.

"Should be, we keep it open for easy access to the bathroom when we hang out in the yard. Maybe we should put this out." She pointed to the dying fire. Garfield grabbed his phone and text Vic _Going to bed, kinda tired, can you put the fire out?_ An immediate response pinged in his phone _A few of us are headed back outside anyway, just leave it, Dick said he'd take care of it before he goes to bed._

"Taken care of." He gestured to the path that lead to the side door of their home, the door only a few feet from Rachel's bedroom door, where he fully planned to follow her.

"Let's go." She headed down the path, her hands shaking but not from the cold. They shook because she had no intention of sleeping alone. Though it wasn't in her routine to invite men into her room without so much as a confirmation of their relationship, she wanted to finish their conversation in a room she could be comfortable, and away from onlookers. As they headed in and snuck into her room, they were only noticed by one smiling bald man.

"Mission accomplished. Better respect her Greenbean, or I'll break your skinny neck" Vic said to himself, wringing the neck on his bottle, fighting the urge to interrupt them.

As soon as the door shut behind him, her lips were on him. She kissed him again, more aggressively this time. He dropped the shoes and tie by the door.

"Rae, wait. I want this, I do, but I need to clear up some things first." He pulled away from her and motioned for her to sit on the bed. "Do you want to get comfortable first? You look like you want to burn that outfit." He chuckled and unbuttoned his shirt further, untucking it from his jeans.

"No, and honestly Gar, I don't want to talk about this. We've tried talking; now it's time to stop talking and start doing." She flicked her light switch off and grabbed his hand, pulling him to her. His arms went around her back again and he kissed her.

"I guess you aren't meditating tomorrow, we will have a lot to talk about." He said between kisses.

"Shhh, stop talking." She smiled into his lips and kissed him again. "We have plenty of time for that tomorrow." He kissed her again, leading her to the bed, kicking his shoes off as they reached it.

 **Smut warning, if you're not into it, you can stop reading here and pick up on the next chapter. You won't miss any plot, I promise. I will save my afterward for the Author's note next chapter.**

He was still over her as she got onto the bed, his lips never leaving hers. He had his arm wrapped around her back and was using it to move her further onto the bed. Her hands ran over his shoulders and the nape of his neck, twining themselves into the ends of his hair. They pulled away shortly as Garfield removed his shirt, quickly returning to their kiss as his hands worked on her buttons. The cold of the night air hit her belly and his warm hands ran over her hips up to her ribs, coaxing her blouse off. His lips left hers and he placed small kisses to her neck and collar bone as he slid the blouse off her body and a soft moan escaped Rachel's lips. She gripped him tighter, her fingers digging into his back. He traced soft; feather light kisses down her neck and collar bone, unclasping her bra in one smooth motion. Rachel had a brief thought wondering how many times he'd removed Terra's in the same fashion before pushing it aside, determined to enjoy herself. She felt warm hands on her breasts, caressing them softly before he took her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, giving it a soft pinch. She rocked her hips into his and she felt him smile against her skin.

Her hands were all over his body, at times gently tugging on his hair and enjoying the feeling of it running through her fingers. She pulled him into her and wrapped her leg around his waist as he took her nipple into his mouth and caressed it with his tongue, one hand on the other and the other hand pulling her into him. Her hips bucked again and she let out a moan, shocking her out how loud and desperate it sounded. He spent what felt like an eternity paying attention to her breasts.

"God Rae, I knew they were great but they're even more amazing to touch. You have an amazing body," he said breathily, wondering why she would choose to hide it but grateful he got to enjoy her little secret all for himself. Her hands made it to his waist and she was pulling on his belt playfully. She ran her hands slowly until they met the buckle, removing it like an expert in one smooth motion. He moved his hand to the zipper on the back of her skirt, sliding it down and laying her down on the bed, pinning her with his kiss. Her hands fumbled his button and zipper as he slid the skirt down, wanting her to hurry with his pants so he could take the sight of her in.

His pants came down to his thighs and he moved to remove them the rest of the way, taking the time to look at her, panting with half lidded eyes, waiting patiently for him to return. He moved they clothes to the floor and out of the way and ran his eyes down her body. He knew she was slender, her curves hiding in the clothes she wore every day and appreciated her full figure, ample breasts and wide hips accentuated by a wasp waist and tight stomach. Rachel said she only worked out for her health, but it certainly had other benefits. She moved her hands to cover her body, suddenly feeling shy under his gaze and his hands stopped hers, running one down from her shoulder, over her breast and down the sides of her hips.

"Don't hide from me, you're so beautiful, I just wanted to take a minute to enjoy the scenery." He moved forward and placed a delicate kiss on her forehead, doing the same over her eyelid and finally found her mouth. He kissed her passionately, the depth of the kiss stirring Rachel from her stomach down into her core. He skin tingling from where he touched her and she shuddered under his touch.

"I'm glad you like what you see." She pulled away and took in his form, bringing herself up on her elbows to sneak a glance at him while he ran his hands down her thighs and legs. "You aren't bad to look at yourself." She said her voice husky. His tight muscles looking toned and well defined, his clothes hid them very well and she noticed another tattoo on his chest just above his heart _Marie_ and ran her finger over it.

"You hide all of this so well Gar, if you dressed a little better, you'd have women throwing themselves at you." She brought him down for another kiss, adjusting her hips so his rested between hers. He rocked his hips into her and smirked against her face.

"Do you really want that though?" he bit her earlobe softly and she bucked into him.

"Depends." She said, kissing his shoulder and biting it softly.

"On?" he groaned as she bit him again, grinding into her. She moaned and tugged at his boxers, wishing they were free from all of their clothing.

"How you respond to having women throw themselves at you." She pulled away and a sly smile crept across her lips. Garfield smiled back and began kissing her between her breasts, occasionally pulling one of her nipples into his mouth, teasing them with his tongue. He kissed a slow trail down her stomach and over her hip bones, pulling down softly on her panties, slowly exposing her to him.

"There's only one that I would enjoy throwing herself at me, and to be honest, I like chasing her more anyway." He kissed her just above the hair, smelling her soap and natural scent as he inched closer to his goal. He leaned back and again looked at her body, through the soft light coming from the crack in the window; he could tell she was flushed. He took a moment to ready himself, his ogling being cut short by her grabbing his neck and kissing him again. Her hands moved to his underwear and pulled them down, the front catching him only for a moment. He removed them and let them fall to the floor before returning to her lips again, rocking into her harder than he had before, his need obvious and demanding. He pulled away again, smirking as he did so.

"What's so funny Gar?" she said, running her fingers through the hair at the top of his head. He gently kissed her inner thigh, working his way up to her core. A sharp intake of her breath telling him he was doing something right. He kissed her outer lips, and tightened his grip on her hips. The moment his tongue slipped in, her hips bucked and her hand clenched on his hair. He smiled again and began using his mouth, using his tongue to draw teasing circles around the small button of nerves. He brought one of his hands around to insert one his fingers into her and ran his tongue over her. She let out a moan that she choked into sigh and her hips bucked of their own accord. Her breathing grew more rapid and frantic, his name slipping from her lips in throaty moans.

He worked slowly and gently, building the tension and easing her closer and closer the edge. His tongue worked against her, bringing the small button into his mouth, pulling on it with his lips, curling his finger upward to tap it from within. He was savoring her wetness, the slick liquid dripping from her with his fingers and he hungrily lapped it up. She was close; he could feel it, keeping his rhythm and motions steady and consistent. Both of her hands gripped his hair, and as her body tense with her climax, she grabbed the forearm holding her hips and dug her nails into it as her back arched, she moaned and the waves of ecstasy racked her body with shakes. She bit her lip to silence her moan, hoping no one had been nearby to hear her carnal joy. Her breath came out in shaky pants and she relaxed her muscles, feeling both relaxed and even hungrier than she had before.

"You sound so sexy, I wish you could let lose, I would love to hear you calling my name." His eyes turned dark and sultry, as he wiped his mouth and moved up to her lips to kiss her, and she could taste herself on I'm.

"You still have a chance to hear it tonight." He voice husky and deep with desire. She wrapped her leg around his and flipped him over onto his back, straddling him.

"Mm, I didn't know you liked to take control." He ran his hands around her hips and rubbed her bottom, musing at the softness of the skin.

"Well, I have to return the favor." Rachel had never been so direct and vocal during intimate moments before, usually just being submissive and letting her partner enjoy himself, being coached through the whole session. Garfield awoke something in her, somethings darker and more primal.

Her lips left feather lift kisses down his jaw and neck, grinding her hips into his, a groan escaping when she bit the skin just below his collar bone. She worked her way agonizingly slow to his hips, placing kisses on the muscled V leading down to his throbbing desire. Feeling him shudder under her, she felt a devious need to tease him, make him squirm beneath her touch. Rachel didn't just want him to enjoy himself; she suddenly wanted to leave him begging for her touch, filling his thoughts with images of her.

She ran her tongue over his length, starting at the base and swirling around the tip; she pulled away and hovered over him for a moment, gathering her long hair into her hand.

"Rachel..." He panted and his hips bucked, "please." He begged her for more, the anticipation making him throb almost painfully. She took then head into her mouth and the sudden warmth of her mouth made his hips buck.

"Sorry, it just felt so good." He ran his hand over her cheek apologetically. She only smirked in return and took more of his lefty into her mouth. His hand gripped the sheet below him and his other hand interlaced in the fingers in his hair. She began moving rhythmically, using her hand to stroke the part of the shaft she couldn't fit, occasionally caressing his scrotum as she teased the head by swirling her tongue around it. She stroked his lefty, taking the soft skins below in her mouth. He hardened more and she moved her mouth over him, increasing her pace.

His mind was swimming, not knowing if he should grab her hair or flip her over and drive himself inside her. He settled with bucking his hips, his white knuckle grip bunching on the sheets. He began groaning and panting, her name slipped from him, guttural and throaty. Before he could react, his body tensed, releasing his arousal into her mouth.

"Oh Rae, I'm so sorry, I didn't warn you." He offered her a water bottle she kept next to the bed. She pulled her lips off him, wiping her mouth to reveal a smile. She took the bottle, took a quick drink and kissed him, his body quickly recovering from the mind numbing release. He moaned out, sounding like a low growl from his chest. She was still straddling him, her wetness meeting his renewing girth. Her entranced twitched in anticipation against him and he couldn't wait any longer.

He rolled her over and ground his hips into her, kissing her hungrily; her hands gripped his back desperately, as if she was afraid to fall without him. She nipped his lip and ran her tongue over it.

"Rae, do you..." He panted out, Rachel knowing what he was after.

"Top drop, side table. They're fairly new." Saving his surprise that she kept condoms readily available for another time. He reached into the drawer and found the box, opening it and removing the small foil package, she knew what to shop for, as he recognized the box as an expensive yet better brand. He opened the package, using his teeth to tear a corner off. He struggled, only for a moment, to find the proper way it was rolled and slid it seductively over his lefty, flexing to give Rachel a show after feeling her eyes on him.

After settling the slippery rubber over him, satisfied that it was secure, he returned to her, her hands coming up to twist in his hair again, her kiss demanding and hungry. He ground into her again, smiling to find her still just as slick and wet as when his lips left her. Every time he ground his hips into her, his tip teased her entrance, coming closer and closer to entering with every thrust. She placed her hands on his chest, pulling her lips from his with a soft sucking noise.

"Gar, listen," she looked away shortly and fumbled with what to say next.

"We can stop if you want. I'm willing to wait if you think we're going too fast." Garfield said, though he wasn't sure how comfortable he'd sleep after being so thoroughly worked up. Her eyes flashed in surprise and she met his gaze again.

"No!" She sounded panicked, "no, that's not it, I want this, God I want you. But..." She trailed off

"Buuuuut?" Garfield drawled, placing his hand on her cheek to comfort her, and stared into the pools in her eyes.

"Well...it's, uh...been...time" she mumbled, not really saying everything audibly.

"What's that? Come on Rae, speak up" he teased. She shoved him softly, his hand catching hers and pulling her closer.

"It's, well, been a long time since I last... I'm afraid that..." He understood, she hadn't been this far in some time, she would require a more gentle touch, more patience, more tenderness and intimacy. Her fear, whether it was pain or skill, would need to be worked away and replaced with desire. He smiled at her, choosing actions over words to help ease her fear. He kissed her tenderly on her lips.

His kiss was different from before, true, they promised more, though this promise was deeper. Before, it left promises of a desire needing to be fulfilled, now it held a promise of affection and protection, and something Rachel ignored for now, it was far too early to jump into that just yet. She relaxed in his arms, and he lay her down again, more gently this time. His lips never left hers, he kissed her gently, and pulling on her deepest depths, his tongue dancing in hers as his hand tucked her hair behind her ear.

She moved herself again, positioning underneath him, silent permission that he could do more. His hips rocked gently into her again, controlling his own desire to show Rachel she was safe. His hand ran up her leg and over her bottom again, positioning her a little more comfortably. His tip teased her entranced again and he torched against her. She moaned into his lips and pulled on his back, telling him she was ready. He positioned himself again, using his hand to steady himself as he pressed into her entrance.

"Are you sure you're ready?" He looked down at her, her hand rising to rest on his cheek as a small smile crossed her face. She nodded silently and licked her lips. He eased himself into her, needing to stop himself from climaxing again at the slick warmth and tightness of her entrance. He'd only got the head in and he'd almost climaxed. Her brow tensed and pain only periodically crossed her face as it eased into contentment. He eased further, pushing himself slowly into her, giving her time to adjust. He'd reached the base and waited a moment, kissing her softly.

Her hips bucked and she sighed, telling him it was ok to move. He moved slowly, rocking his hips into her, his pelvis rubbing deliciously into her little bundle of nerves. She moaned again and he increased his pace, only slightly, his arms wrapped behind her, cradling her into him, she began to feel the tingle in their belly, building into her apex again. He broke their kissed and looked into her eyes, the pleasure on his face apparent, as she met his gaze, her eyes fluttering shut and her teeth biting her lip.

"Rae..." He groaned out, wanting to say her name and show her his desire for her. He moaned again. "You feel...so. Good." He sighs growing into moans as her own pleasure built the sound of her name deep in the throes of passion made her walls twitch, and he throbbed in response. "I don't know how log I'll last." He said breathily, his pace increasing and his thrust growing harder, though never feeling any less gentle.

Her climax was nearing, threatening to come crashing when he bent his head to take her nipple in his mouth. She moaned again, her hands heaps of at Garfield's back, and her legs wrapping around him. He thrust deeper into her, finally pushing her over the edge, her back arched and her nails dug into his back.

"Oh, Gar!" She called out as she climaxed, biting into his shoulder to quiet her moans of ecstasy and her walls tightened and her body shuddered. The sensation being more than he could handle, Garfield thrust deeply into her, his rhythm gone.

"Ugh, Rachel." He growled between gritted teeth, pulling her into him and shuddering with her. He collapsed, panting onto her, both of them throbbing as their bodies finished their release. Their breathing was the only sound they'd heard for a moment, the hum from voices at the party and the booming bass from the music only returning after a few minutes.

Garfield lifted himself off her, resting his weight on his elbows as he eased out of her. Meeting her gaze with a satisfied smile on his face, He moved to kiss her again, gently and full of his gratitude.

"Sorry, that wasn't very cool, it ended so quickly." He was slightly embarrassed, short sessions not something he was used to.

"Don't be," the fragility in her voice startling, "it was perfect. You were amazing." She smiled back at him and kissed him again, not wanting the moment to end. He rolled off her and pulled the condom off himself, tying it off and wrapping it in tissue before placing it in her trash can. She sat up, staring at his back, feeling the need to touch him again.

Garfield jumped as he felt her hands wrapping around him, her breasts pressing into his back and her hair ticking his shoulder.

"Sorry about your back, er, and your shoulder." She looked at her handiwork, the trails of scratch marks clear across his back, a dark bite mark se was sure would bruise standing out in his tanned skin.

"I'll wear it proudly. Sorry about the hickey, I don't normally leave them." He peeked over his shoulder and rested his hand over hers. "I need to clean up a bit, you want to go first?"

She nodded, and he kissed her again He stood up and placed his underwear and a pair of sweats he kept in her room on, deciding to throw his shirt on, should any party goers be wandering around the house. When he turned around, Rachel had already donned a plush cotton robe, tying the front tightly to completely cover herself. She snuck out of the room silently, the sound of the toilet flushing and faucet running his only indication that she has made it. After washing her hands, she pulled the robe down to reveal a purple bruise just under her collar bone, taking care to cover it again.

Garfield left and returned just as quickly, removing his shirt as he came in. He removed his pants as he reached the bed, his naked body showing no evidence of his earlier arousal. He crawled into the bed and pulled the ties on Rachel's robe.

"Again?" She sounded shocked and he chuckled, kissing her neck again.

"No, well, unless you want to. I've slept next to you for a while now, I plan on sleeping next to you again, and I just need to get rid of this damned robe first." She cocked a brow and shrugged it off her shoulders. He lay on his back and held an arm out for her. She curled up on his chest and drew small circles onto it as he grazed his hand over her side. Sleep was coming quickly and she was in between consciousness and dreaming.

"Rae?" Garfield asked, just as sleepy.

"Mmm?" She answered, hoping it would be quick.

"Never mind," he said yawning, "I'll ask you tomorrow." And his grip on her tightened.

As the loud cheers and music of the party they'd long since abandoned roared further into the night, the two wrapped and entangled into each other, and fell into a deep, contented sleep, never moving from each other the whole night, Rachel's dreams filled with a smile that made green eyes dance, and her own smile and relaxation washed warmly over her.

 **Afterward: Drinking can be fun, if done in moderation, I've shown a more irresponsible side to the characters and now that school is finishing and their careers are beginning, they will be calming down. Drinking in excess can be dangerous, it lowers your inhibitions and sometimes you don't have control of your actions. Make sure you always enjoy safely, don't drive and make sure you always have a handle on things, that you're always aware of your actions and surroundings.**

 **Garfield and Rachel, while both relaxed from the alcohol, were not drunk, I didn't want to portray them as taking advantage of each other while they were intoxicated. This isn't for any particular reason other than to say: Be careful when you drink, do it slowly, eat before and during, and drink water after every drink. Some of you might be older and already know this, but some of you might be younger and maybe you're just starting to drink. Moderation is good.**


	10. Teasing the Palette

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans are the property of DC comics and I am not gaining any sort of compensation for this work. This is purely a work of fiction so any similarities to situations or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.**

 **Author's Note: I made it to chapter 10, so hooray! When I outlined this, I was only expecting like 5 chapters, but now I've doubled it and I still have more. Writing the last chapter became intense, I was like a woman possessed trying to perfect it, and it was longer than I anticipated. Terra will come back occasionally, mostly to show how she no longer has a hold on Garfield. Mal will come in eventually as well, but that's for a later chapter. More fluff this chapter, and some serious mental debate for the pair. Thankfully, I wrote it so they are both fully aware of what they've done and neither regrets it. So without further ado, let's get to it.**

10\. Teasing the Palette.

The sun rose on the dewy morning, the cool air coming in from the window Garfield cracked open to help air the room out. Not that he minded the smell of their deed, but he didn't think Rachel would appreciate her immaculate room stinking of sweat and their intimacy, and the cool night air felt nice, forcing Rachel to cuddle closer. They spent the night wrapped tightly around each other, naked and worn out from the surge of emotions and exertion of their night's activities. Though Garfield was embarrassed at the short session he'd managed for her, she assured him that she was satisfied and there was nothing to be shy about.

Rachel's eye cracked open, the light slipping in from the curtains blinding her. Garfield's weight held her tight to the bed, and she wasn't sure she even wanted to leave, though, as usual, her bladder won out on her desire to stay wrapped in his arms. She sat up, pulling the sheet around her to hide her nudity, as she felt suddenly very venerable and, well, naked. She pulled away from his arms and sat at the edge of her bed, looking for her sweats and T-shirt she used as pajamas. A small twinge of pain rang through her middle, sore from the attention it was not accustomed to. Garfield stirred when he felt her move, squinting at her back as he watched her stand from the bed and lean to pick up her clothing. A black and blue raven decorating her middle and lower back, ascending upward toward her shoulders, he made a mental note that the next session he would position her to enjoy the view from behind, her thin waste and wide hips beckoning him enticingly.

"Morning Rae, you never told me you had ink." He stretched, her head whipping around suddenly, as she was obviously startled.

"Morning, I'll tell you about it when I come back, have you seen my shirt?" she had her sweats pulled over her hips and was trying to hide her breasts. He cocked an eyebrow and motioned for her arms.

"No need to hide from me anymore Rae, I like what I see, look does this make you feel better?" he whipped the blanket away and displayed his morning, involuntary arousal for her to see. She flushed deeply, smirked and removed her arms, giving up on modesty.

"Do you have an off switch?" she cocked a brow as he eyed his chest and abs, her eyes dipping lower, only for a moment and her heart fluttered, finding that her estimation in the dark of the night before did not do him justice and she quickly realized why she was so sore. He pulled the blanket back over himself and stretched again, a soft yawn escaping his mouth.

"Hurry back and I'll show you." He smirked deviously at her, grabbing her T-shirt from the nightstand and handing it over to her.

"Maybe later? I'm, um, a little sore." She took the shirt and he nodded at her, his smirk turning into a gentle smile. She headed out of the room and into the restroom, noting the party guest sleeping at the other end of the hallway and prayed no one had passed out in the bathroom. Finishing her business, she took a long look at herself in the mirror, the V-neck on her T-shirt dipping low enough to show the small love bite on her neck from Garfield. She touched it, expecting it to hurt, finding that the sensation excited her as her thoughts flashed back to the moment he'd given it to her. She washed her face in cool water and dried it, set to remove the flush before returning to her bedroom. He was right where she left him and she crawled back into bed with him.

"So tell me about that ink." He wrapped his arm around her and tugged at her shirt and pants, wanting to continue lying next to her naked body.

"I was 17, I lied to the guy and said I'd just turned 18 and wanted a new piece, he never bothered to check my ID and I got this. At the time, it was macabre to me but as I've gotten older it symbolized knowledge and wisdom I've gained throughout my life. It's so big though, and its placement is a little strange, almost like a tramp stamp." She finished pulling her shirt off and he ran his fingers over the expertly detailed feathers coming from the wings. She'd spent quite a bit for this caliber of art, and should very well be proud of it.

"It's far from a trampstamp, its art." He ran his finger up her spine enjoying the shudder it solicited. She turned around and ran her finger over the script across his chest.

"Who's Marie?" no hint of any jealousy in her voice, Rachel was genuinely curious about any woman he held so dear to tattoo her name across his heart.

"Oh, I never told you my parents' names have I? Marie is my mom's name. I got that when I was 13, back when I was still a little rough around the edges. That's when I got this one too." He turned over and showed a stretched and warped tattoo across his shoulders, stretched from his growth. She couldn't make out the words, though the first one resembled a local street name.

"Didn't think that one through, did you?" she chuckled and ran her finger over the tattoo on his forearm. "This one is my favorite." She said, staring at it and tracing the lines.

"Mine too." He kissed her forehead and pulled her close again, lifting her chin to reach her lips. His kiss was tender and her hand rested against his cheek.

"I should get up and workout. I haven't in the last few days." She said, though she showed no sign of getting up.

"Do you have to Rae? I was thinking we could lay here for a bit, maybe get some food, come back here and maybe watch a movie alone. I don't really feel like socializing today, I had enough last night. I just want a day to catch up with you." She couldn't help but smile at Garfield's words; she'd never heard someone say they wanted to be alone with her for more than a few hours, other than Kori.

"Let me make some tea at least, start my morning a bit, I'll come back her and we can relax until you're ready to leave." She pulled away and started sitting up again.

"Then I'll go to the bathroom while you're gone. We can shower right before we leave." They headed out of the door, Rachel heading into the kitchen to brew her tea. She found more than a few people strewn about her house, some using jackets as pillows and a lucky few snagging the couches or a recliner. She smiled at a few displaying marker on their faces, their shoes being left on their feet, house rules dictated they suffer the consequences. She quickly brewed her tea and headed back to her room, surprised when the bathroom door opened and she was pulled in, nearly spilling her hot beverage.

"I wanted to shower now and thought maybe you could join me? I'll warm up the water and get started while you enjoy your tea." He smiled sheepishly, and rubbed the back of his head, a clear sign he was nervous.

"You didn't have to kidnap me to ask." She mocked annoyance and sipped her tea, feeling like maybe she shouldn't drink it in the now dirty bathroom. He turned on the water, a nice steam cloud billowing from behind the sliding glass. The luxurious bathtub in the corner calling for Rachel's sore muscles would have to wait for another time when she was less rushed. She turned around to find Garfield standing naked in front of the glass, testing the water before heading in. She took one last sip of her tea before dumping the remainder into the sink and decided to join him.

The shower was large enough for two people, with two shower heads, one in front and one in back, wondering if the original owner designed it for the sake of two people sharing the water, Rachel climbed in behind Garfield, stealing the rear shower head to rinse off. She reached for her shampoo to find it was already taken, and turned to find Garfield pouring a small amount into his hands, gesturing for her to turn around. His hands gently massaged the cool liquid into her scalp, creating a luxurious lather, as the instructions on the bottle would call it. When he finished, he rinsed his hands in the water stream and grabbed her conditioner.

He ran the goo through her hair, following the instructions on the bottle. Terra had never let him join her in the shower, saying he would just waste her time, so he savored the fact that Rachel seemed to be more accommodating. When he was done, she put her hair up into a bun and turned to face him, requesting he turn around as she reached for his shampoo. The feeling of her fingers in his scalp relaxed him and he wondered if she would be willing to shower with him every day, knowing the daily scalp massage would do wonders for his tension. When he rinsed, she grabbed her soap, looking for her loofa to wash herself.

"No ma'am, I'm finishing the job I started, and that doesn't end until you're squeaky clean from head," He met her gaze and ran his eyes slowly down her, appreciating the way she looked in the stream of water "to toe." He gave her a crooked smile and she turned around to comply. He took great care to scrub her skin, firm enough to clean her, yet gentle enough she seemed to completely relax. He tugged on her shoulder, requesting her to turn around. Using the loofa, he washed her front, using his hands as well as the abrasive sponge to wash over her curves, needing to stop himself before things turned and he became tempted to do more than scrub her body. She flushed and rinsed off, enjoying the feeling of his hands on her, almost wishing he hadn't stopped.

When his turn came, he had only a wash cloth to scrub himself with and she lathered his soap into it, taking care to scrub over his scratch marks gently. When she washed his front, she took the chance to enjoy running her hands across his chest and down his abs, avoiding his eyes when she washed his groin, feeling it change under her touch. She knelt to wash his legs and it took all of his control to avoid getting too excited. He rinsed and she set to leave the shower, realizing she'd never done this before, finding comfort in the whole experience. It was oddly erotic, while still being completely relaxing, if Garfield could agree to wake up earlier, she may just invite him more often.

They dried off and made their way to their rooms, set to get dressed and ready to leave, Rachel was thankful the hallway guest had since left. _Who sleeps in a hallway anyway_ she huffed at herself. A knock at her door drew her attention away from the shirt she was tugging over her head, her pants still unbuttoned and unzipped.

"Gar?" she asked, she'd again forgotten to lock her door. He walked in, dressed and hair combed, ready to go out to breakfast. She looked startled as she pulled it down quickly.

"Sorry, should I have waited outside?" he put his hands up and instinctively turned around. She chuckled softly, something he was not expecting and the sound of her placing another shirt on drew his attention back.

"Didn't you tell me just this morning not to hide from you? Don't tell me you've changed your mind since doing the walk of shame back to your room." She laughed, though she did feel a pang in her chest, worried that maybe this was all they'd get from each other, one night of passion and a morning full of awkward.

"No not at all, it just caught me off guard." He smiled back and watched her put her shoes on. She'd made her bed and her room looked as pristine as when they'd entered it, the smell of sandalwood from a nearby candle clearing out the smell of the previous night. "Ready to go?"

"Sure." She walked to the door and exited before him, ignoring his waiting lips as she passed him, her quick pace making him jog to catch up to her.

Breakfast was awkward, just as she'd expected. She half hoped they would be able to eat together, relaxed and enjoying each other's company, though she knew that it wasn't likely given their night's encounter. She didn't regret her choice to be so aggressive, nor did she regret that she'd laid herself bare in regards to her feelings, but a part of her didn't want anything between them to change. _Too late for that Rachel_ she thought to herself as she sipped her tea, her waffles long since forgotten.

"Something bothering you Rae?" Garfield was staring intently at her, though her silence was normal for her, her aloof nature this morning was not.

"Hm? No not at all," she smiled at him and set her tea down, "Sorry, I kind of dazed off for a second there." He smiled back and grabbed his juice.

"That sigh says otherwise. Tell me what's on your mind." His expression turned gentle, urging her to open up.

"Well, to be completely honest," she said, "I was kind of hoping we wouldn't change. I like how comfortable I am with you, but this morning I'm an awkward mess. I'm sorry Gar, it really isn't your fault, I guess I must be a little shy."

"Oh thank God." He sighed in relief and she looked at him incredulously. "Sorry, it's just, I'm glad I'm not the only one, I was so nervous when I woke up this morning. I think I overcompensated a little." He ran his hand through his hair and smiled, looking more relaxed.

"We certainly are a pair aren't we?" she smiled, lifting her cup in a cheers motion and sipped her tea. He chuckled and stretched in his seat, the easy smile returning on his face. The ping from Rachel's phone drew their attention to her bag.

 _New Message from Kori: We are all going out to eat, we will be back later. Please reply with any requests you and Gar have for food._

 _Reply: We've both eaten already. How did you know we're together?_

 _New Message from Kori: ;)_

 _New Message from Kori: I'm happy for you, enjoy it._

"Humph, sometimes even I forget how perceptive Kori is." She smiled at her phone and placed it back in her bag.

"Why's that, and yeah she plays dumb so well it's scary how smart she is." He sipped the last of his coffee and called the waitress over for another and the check.

"It's the accent, I'm certain she can speak without it, but refuses to. It makes her come off as defenseless and a bit spacey and I think she uses it to her advantage. She's really very capable." Rachel thanked the waitress for clearing the table and continued to sip her tea.

"That has to be it, she seems so innocent but there are times when I can see how devious she can be. Especially when someone slights her." Garfield said around a laugh. "Should we go home?"

"Sure, that sounds great," she said, placing her mug down and pulling her wallet out to pay for her breakfast. "Breakfast is my treat today." she smiled at him and he smirked.

"Sure, thanks, I know better than to argue with you." he said.

"Though you insist on doing it anyway every day." she smirked back and placed some cash into the bill fold, leaving an ample tip for her attentive waitress.

"I'll get the movies though." he said standing and offering his hand to help her out of the booth. Though she was shocked at his chivalrous gesture, she accepted it and even allowed him to help her with her coat. They headed out and walked toward the car, Rachel's thoughts and worries rushing back to her. She wanted to know what the night meant to him, and was figuring out what it meant to her. She knew she cared about him, knew she could even want more than friendship from him. What she didn't know was just how much she wanted from him. Friends with benefits? No that was too non-committal for her taste. Hook-up? Worse than friends with benefits. Dating? That would imply going out together and she would rather spend time alone at him with him. Boyfriend? Was she asking too much too fast wanting to call him her boyfriend? She reached her car and squashed her thoughts, deep down where she could revisit them later.

Choosing a movie that both of them would enjoy proved difficult, leading to both of them picking their individual favorite movies and agreeing to show them to each other. Stopping quickly at the grocery store for snacks and easy food, they headed home and got comfortable, Rachel in a pair of sweats and a T-shirt, Garfield in a pair of shorts and his undershirt. Rachel changed her sheets and put them to wash, stopping only to greet her roommates.

"Hey Rach, you want to go for a hike? Gar is in his pajamas and said 'no way' so it's me, Kori Vic and his date." Dick asked Rachel as she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

"No thanks, I plan on relaxing today, I had a long week." She said, cracking the seal on the bottle and taking a sip.

"You're not hungover are you? You and Gar disappeared and I assumed you'd gotten drunk and he put you to bed." a knowing smile crossed his face, "he didn't take advantage of you did he?"

"Jesus Dick, I'm not that dumb and no I wasn't that drunk, I just went to bed. I was tired; I had enough to drink and went to bed. What time did you finally go to bed?" she said in an accusing tone.

"Around 1AM, I was planning this hike today, to be honest, I'm surprised Vic is good enough to even stand right now." he chuckled, "I guess he deserved his last hoorah, he said he's quitting drinking from now on. Kori and I also decided to quit partying. She's graduating soon, work is getting hectic for me, I guess it's just time."

"Everyone has to grow up sometime I suppose. That works for me, I barely drink anyway." she smiled genuinely, thankful parties would no longer happen in her home. "I think it would be good for all of us. Even Gar was saying the other day that he's not really enjoying drinking anymore. He says it reminds him of his relationship with Terra too much."

"Makes sense, that girl is crazy, more when she drinks. Have a good day Rach, I messaged you the location we're hiking at, but we should get good service throughout." he grabbed a backpack and started walking toward the door. Rachel headed toward the hallway when Richard called out to her "Oh and Rach, I'll text you when we're heading back so you two have a chance to get decent and finish up your business." he said with a smirk on his face, hiding a laugh.

"Hey!" she called, but her words were too late. "Who says that's what we're going to do today? It's not like we're even together." she mumbled to herself, staring out the window as her friends drove away. Arms wrapped around her from behind and she smelled Garfield's cologne.

"Nosy little prick, no wonder Kori likes him so much, he's just as perceptive as she is." he held her tighter and nuzzled his face into her neck, his stubble tickling her neck and sending shivers down her spine. _So maybe that is what we'll be doing today._ She thought to herself relaxing into his embrace.

"Oh and Rae? No need to concern yourself with that. You know you're mine, right? I'm not a hit it and quit it kind of guy. When I sleep with someone, it means I want to be with them. Of course, that's if you want to be with me too." he pulled her even tighter and placed a small kiss on her cheek. She shuddered when his lips grazed her ear and smiled to herself.

"I guess that's settled then." she turned around and faced him, kissing his lips gently before he deepened it in return. They stood there, kissing and clutching to each other as if nothing else in the world existed, and in this moment, nothing did for them. She didn't allow her mind to wander to the what-if, only enjoyed the moment, a rare course of action for her; however, things with Garfield were always easy. He never allowed for her to overthink things, often taking action into his own hands. He was spontaneous while she carefully planned her every move. She got caught up in her own thoughts all too often, and fell to the side of inaction while he rushed ahead.

In all logical reasoning, their relationship was not likely, though, the same applied for their friendship. Yet Rachel found nothing but peace and happiness from the time she spent with Garfield, and he felt as though he healed with her, her kindness soothing the burn of his past romance. They were both unlikely yet completed suited for each other and Rachel wondered just how long their relationship would last before problems arose. Pulling away from him, she smiled and looked at ground. She care deeply for him, even as a friend, to further their relationship had not ruined things like she'd worried, only added a deeper intimacy to their bond and she hoped she wouldn't screw it up.

"Let's go watch our movies before I choose something else and we waste my money." Garfield smiled and pulled away from her. He headed into her room and settled himself on the floor, snacks in hand. Rachel padded in behind him carrying the water bottles she'd nearly completely forgotten. She sat next to him, handing him one of the bottles she carried.

"Let's watch yours first." He said and placed the disc into the small player she kept under her TV.

"Just in case it's boring and you need a pick me up after?" she smirked at him, wondering if he'd ever had a chance to peek at her movie choice. No, it wasn't necessarily her favorite, though she adored it, choosing it to keep Garfield from getting too bored their first lazy day together. "Did you even look at the movie you put in?"

"Nope, I wanted it to be a surprise." pressing the menu button and play button quickly to avoid the title menu. His eyes still closed while a small screen of text popped up onto the screen.

 _"Forget it, it's too risky."_ an actor lit a cigarette on the screen and Garfield's face lit up. Though he'd never seen the film, he immediately recognized it, having watched the scene in a film class in high school. By the end of the short dialogue, and even midway into Dick Dale's rendition of _Misirlou_ , his face held a shocked expression.

"It's one of my favorites." she smiled back, shocked as he suddenly wrapped his arms around her.

"You are by far the coolest girl I know. I'm lucky I got you." he said, nuzzling into her neck and placing a small kiss onto her cheek.

"Correction, lucky that _I_ caught _you."_ she smirked again, watching the movie and enjoying the scene following the opening titles.

"Well, you _did_ basically pounce on me." he goaded back, earning him a playful slap on the arm.

They spent the rest of the day snacking, watching movies and relaxing. Coming out only for major meals, the spent the day isolated with each other, thankful there were no questions from their roommates regarding their absence. When the sun finally fell and the night air chilled the room, the lay next to each other in Rachel's room, Garfield barely able to contain his excitement of his new found affections. This time, however, he made sure he was given a full view of the intricate lines of ink on her back, as well as the irresistible view of her body it elicited.

 **Afterward: I'm so sorry this took so long, I got very sick on Friday while I was editing and only today did I feel well enough to even work on this. Next chapter is written and as soon as this is uploaded it's going to be edited. Let me know if you have any requests, from here on its going to be a bit of peace for them, with hints of oncoming drama. I'll give a shout out to the person who can guess the movie Rachel chose from the vague hints I gave.**


	11. Cleanse The Palette

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans are the property of DC comics and I am not gaining any sort of compensation for this work. This is purely a work of fiction so any similarities to situations or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.**

 **Author's Note: So that awkward "are we, aren't we" of after sex is done, and now we are on to the joys of being in a relationship. That includes not just the happy "Oh, I hope this lasts forever" moments, but also the "What the hell was I thinking when I got with you" moments. Don't worry, this is a BB/Rae fic and I'm a sucker for a happy ending. It might be more forward thinking and trendy to end on a sad note, but, let's be honest, I write enough sadness in my own personal project that I use this as my outlet for happy times. I still have no idea how long this will go on, guys like TheForceIsStrongWithThisOne and LamontCranston blow me away with their story lengths, but they're amazing writers. Sorry about the delay for the last couple chapters, I've been incredibly sick and I appreciate your patience in waiting for the next one.**

 **Thanks again for all the reviews and views. Let's get to it.**

11\. The Main Course

"Damn it Gar, is it really that hard to put it a literal foot from where you just threw it?! I mean, it is literally right next to the laundry basket." Rachel shook the smelly sock at Garfield, her face red with anger. In the first week, it had come off as cute, that he was like a child leaving his clothes all over the floor. Now it was annoying and disgusting, and she was tired of picking dirty clothes off the floor.

"Come on Rae, I'm sorry, I just threw it, I didn't think it would land on the floor. Besides, most of those shirts you moved into the hamper were still clean, I could have worn them another time." he put his hands up in a defensive position.

"Still clean? Are you kidding me Gar? That excuse only worked the first fifteen times you used it. I know better, as soon as you shower its fresh clothes or nothing. You NEVER GO BACK FOR THE DIRTY CLOTHES." she was nearly shouting, though her tone was loud for her. They'd spent six glorious weeks getting acquainted with each other, learning each other's secret quirks, guilty pleasures and, of course, the spots that made the other's toes curl. They both explored each other's minds and bodies, trying to learn all they could about their partner. In the seventh week, things soured when Garfield complained that Rachel was too grumpy in the mornings. They soured further when she retorted that noon hardly counted as a morning. They spent the week bickering back and forth, in the privacy of their bedrooms of course, of the things that secretly annoyed them about each other.

"Listen, I'm sorry ok? I'll remember to put them in the hamper from now on. As a sorry, I'll do the laundry this week. Now put that gross thing down and come here so I can give you some love. You look tense, let me work that out." and with Garfield's words, Rachel's anger subsided. Though he drove her to the point of very real anger, he never let it stay for long. They alternated weeks in the upkeep of their rooms and shared bathroom, though they spent most of their time in Rachel's room.

"No, I'm sorry I got so mad, that was inappropriate. It's just a damned sock." she balked at the site of it in her hand "Smelly as it may be." she dropped it into the hamper and decided to do laundry earlier than she'd originally planned. She made her way to him, sitting next to him on the bed and leaning into him as he wrapped an arm around her.

"So why don't you tell me what's really bothering you. There's no way my Rae gets this angry over just a sock." He said delicately, hoping she would tell him the true nature of her ire. She was grateful he'd taken no offense to her behavior, making her feel even worse for it. He knew when she was distracted by other problems and often let her vent about it to him. This time was no different, though it still caught him off guard.

"Who says it's not about your socks?" She said with a wry smile, and he tugged her closer.

"The volume in your voice. You only yell like that when you feel like you've been personally insulted." he said pulling her into a laying position.

"Like you know me that well, Gar." she huffed, knowing he did.

""Raaaaae…" he drawled, asking her to tell him what was bothering her and quit deflecting.

"Garth got a raise _and_ promoted. I am now the lowest paid in the kitchen, that manager is driving me nuts. I work so many hours, I work alone, I cover shifts, I train everyone, I close alone, I never call in and I'm never late. Why do I keep getting passed up for promotions and raises? I didn't even get my yearly raise." She sounded as though she was on the verge of tears, though she would never let them fall, not for something like money. Her pride was hurt, something no amount of money could buy.

"It's going to be ok, there's no reason to worry, try doing a little extra here and there. I know you already do plenty but it's what they expect from you. You have to stand out." he said comforting her.

"Don't you think I do enough to stand out?" she stood again and began pacing "Damn it Gar, I don't know what more I can do. I'm already running my station alone, doing all the dishes and I close alone any days that you aren't in. Gar, I've done more than most. I don't know if I have any more to give." She sat down again, flustered and clearly troubled. Garfield again placed his arm around her, wanting to comfort her.

"I know Rae, I know, they don't appreciate you, but they know the kitchen falls apart without you. I don't know why they won't pay you more or acknowledge you but I have my suspicions that's it's related to your lack of socializing. You don't joke around or hang out with any of the managers like the rest of us do. Hell, even I don't anymore. I figured when Vic left they would give you a raise but they never did." he traced small circles around her hand with his thumb. "Maybe you should start looking for a new job. I know you want to help Dick, but at what cost Rae? You're too smart to be in a kitchen, you need to be running something." Rachel often felt she could do no better, her only skills consisting of being able to read and comprehend what she read, writing well and being able to empathize with most people. She was a stand out in customer service, but didn't like the amount of social interaction that came with it. Helping Dick was only a small facet of why she worked where she did.

"Gar, I just, don't have any real marketable skills." she sighed, feeling hopeless and a little depressed.

"Bullshit, have you seen how some people write? Have you thought of going back to school?" he asked, wondering why she never continued in the first place. "You could get your degree and work somewhere that better suits you."

"Because when I withdrew, it ruined my transcripts." She groaned out. "I'm going to have to take those classes again, but the process to transfer my transcripts is a real bitch. Also, if I get another lead on my mom, I have to pick and leave at a moment's notice."

"I understand why you're doing it, but why do you have to leave to follow your leads? It's the information age Rae, much of your research can be done online or over the phone. It's not like you have to hit the streets to-" he stopped his thought as suddenly things snapped into place. The weekly nights out she spent alone, the stink of cheap cigarettes and campfire, the scared look on her face when those days came up. "Rae, you're not actually talking to people on the streets about your mom and dad, are you?" he pulled away and stared into her eyes. He never questioned her actions, knowing she was faithful and dependable, thinking she just needed space once a week.

"My dad was a gang member when he met my mom. He worked his way up and is now one of the main leaders. Much of the contacts I need to make aren't on the books. The police stations won't even give me information, even if it's public record, when it exists. 'It's part of an investigation' they tell me." she sighed again and relaxed met his gaze "I'm sorry for keeping this from you but it's something I need to do for me. I need closure. An old friend in Gotham tries to help but I have to do most of the footwork."

"Rae, that's so dangerous, how have you not been attacked or killed?" Garfield exclaimed. "I've been on the streets, I know what it's like, especially for a woman alone and unarmed."

"Actually…" she started to say

"Oh, let me guess, you're armed. Damn it Rae, I get your reasons but I still think you're being stupid for someone so smart." he huffed out a breath he didn't know he had held and ran his hand through his hair. "You're set on continuing this? Ongoing on weekly escapades into dangerous situations?" he said, already knowing his answer.

"I Am." she said with resolve. She wouldn't stop now, not after she'd come so close. "This is the longest my dad has stayed anywhere. I would have gotten word of his movements if he'd left."

"Then you aren't doing it alone, and I'm helping you. I know these streets better than you. I can help you find him." He shot her a look to silence any protests, "I know you can take care of yourself, but I'm still going to help you. What will you do when we find him?"

"Ask the bastard what he did with my mom and hopefully find her. Once he knows it's me that's looking for him, he will want to talk, I'm just trying to fly under his radar until I know what I'm getting myself into." she sighed again, not knowing how their conversation went from socks to work then to her search for her mother. Garfield must have assumed she'd given up her search, though she had hid it from him to save her the same reaction he'd just had.

"Well, first things first," he picked up the dirty clothes around the room and placed them into the hamper, "you need to start looking for a better job, maybe not one that pays better but one where you'll be happier. I'll contact one of my old friends about your dad's gang and we'll cross check it with your information. Go take a shower and let's go get something to eat, my treat."

"I thought you said you wanted to spend today in bed, not going anywhere or doing anything." She said, hoping her outburst hadn't ruined the plans he had set.

"I still intend to, but I'm going to need energy to spend it in bed with you, and I don't feel like cooking right now, and I'm not about to ask you to. I plan to spend the day in bed, easing your tension the best way I know how." he smirked, though she could not see his expression.

"A massage?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure, of sorts. I guess I could start with a back massage." he turned so she could see his expression, the desire on his face evident by the smirk.

"We need to re-up some supplies." she smiled back. "You keep burning through them like they're cheap."

"Cheaper than a baby." he said, laughing at the end.

"Very true." she grabbed her clothes and headed for the shower. Though she was troubled, constantly it seemed, he always had a way to relieve her stress and ease her worries. She felt a small pang of guilt in the shower as she thought on it, wondering how anyone could put someone they cared for through it. _If he didn't want to, he wouldn't put up with it but Gar is such a white knight sometimes I think he would suffer for it,_ she thought as she dried herself, _I think it's time I start working on being happy and stopped being so upset and nihilistic. Yeah, I'll start to enjoy this, I deserve a guy like Gar and its time I start acting like it._ She stepped out of the bathroom feeling both physically and mentally clean. New outlooks were rare for her, but she had played with the idea one way or another. She walked toward the living room, new purpose in her steps, not knowing the troubles that awaited her just over the horizon.

"What kind should we get?" Garfield held up two boxes, both identical other than the brand.

"You pick, you have to wear it." Rachel said, absentmindedly browsing various bottles and "aids" as they were labeled. The small drugstore was quiet and empty, the blank faced cashier being the only other person they'd noticed.

"Flip a coin, I'm going to get something to drink, want anything?" he said, handing the boxes to Rachel. She noticed the slightest tint of red at the tips of his ears.

"Water, and gee Gar, I didn't know this embarrassed you." she teased. He scratched the back of his neck and chuckled.

"Yeah, it's not something I normally do, usually I go to the big store down the street and use the self-check out." he smiled and walked away; relieved she'd left it alone. Deciding on her usual brand, she placed the other box on to the shelf and turned to follow Gar, a wash of blonde hair catching her attention at the other end of the isle.

"Terra..." she whispered to herself. _What are you doing in...?Oh Lord no._ Terra stood at the end, her face showing how deeply she was contemplating the packages in her hand. Rachel recognized their marks. _Pregnancy tests..._ her mind ran to Garfield. He was always so careful, though there were times when she suspected he wanted to continue without protection. She ducked to the next isle and rung her hands together. Surely it wasn't from Garfield; they'd been separated for too long for any child to be his. _But what if it is? Her lifestyle could easily make her miss the signs._

"Rae, what're doing there?" Garfield touched her arm with the cold water bottle.

"Gar! I, uh," she stammered.

"Gar?" Terra rounded the corner, shifting the items in her hands when she saw Rachel.

"Hey Terra. Long time, how things are?" he asked, his expression showing nothing but a genuine nature, the warmth of his smile even surprising Rachel.

"Fine I guess, there's some things I wanted to talk to you about, but not here, and not in front of _her._ " her disdain for Rachel obvious.

"Whatever you have to say to me is fine to say in front of Rae, otherwise you can forget it." He said, doing his best to still appear friendly while holding his ground.

"This has nothing to do with her; it's about you and me. Mainly me, but it's up to you if you want it to be your problem too." Terra moved her hands, the packages now in full view. Garfield glanced down, seeing what she was holding.

"You can't, even if you are there's no way...it's been too long…" he stammered, though he had his doubts, the math did add up just right for one night in particular.

"It's been months that I've missed, I just ignored it because I thought it was stress." she shifted her weight to her other hip and stared Garfield down.

"How can I really know it's mine? I mean honestly? Are you willing to take a paternity test?" he said, impressing Rachel with his ability to stay rational when she was lost for words.

"I shouldn't have to Gar, take responsibility for your actions, God you're such a child. I'd hate to have to sue you for child support." her face was smug as she insulted him, snapping Rachel from her daze.

"He is being responsible. I'm not saying it isn't his, but we don't know for sure it is." She said, defending her boyfriend.

"Terra, if the baby's mine, I want to be a good father. I just need to know for sure." he said, bargaining with her to be reasonable.

"What kind of good father isn't married to his child's mother?" she scoffed. _There it is, that's her game._

"I can be a perfectly good father without having to be with you. Sorry Terra, we're done, this changes nothing between us. We can be friends for the sake of the baby but I won't be with you." he started walking away, "Terra, call me when we can do a paternity test, I'll be happy to complete it. Come on Rae, let's go." Rachel shifted into motion, stopping for a moment to meet Terra's gaze.

"Regardless of the circumstances, congratulations on the baby Terra, sounds like you've already decided to keep it." she started walking away, ignoring the ugly noise Terra made, having been beat at her game when they refused to play.

They were quiet the entire drive home, Garfield obviously lost in thought. There was no massage or any intimacy when they got home, only a silent meal and the movie they watched being used as only background noise.

"Even if it is yours, Gar, that doesn't change how I feel about you." Rachel said, pulling him from his own thoughts.

"Hmm? Oh thanks Rae, honestly, I just don't think it is mine. But if it is...Fuck how could I be so stupid." he placed his head in his hands. "The truth is, a part of me kind of hopes it is, but another part of me thinks this is just a show, a way to scare whatever guy she chooses to stay with her. She's done this before."

"Gar, the only way to know for sure is after she takes the test." she soothed, running her hand up and down his back.

"Should I ask her to go with me to a doctor to get tested? I just don't trust her." he sighed and tensed, "God I feel like an asshole."

"You're not; you're just trying to protect yourself. It's a reasonable request." she did her best to comfort him, bring his normal happy attitude back. Her attention was pulled away from him when she heard their doorbell, heading out into hallway to answer the frantic knocking and ringing.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." she called out to the door, stopping when she saw the familiar truck in the driveway. Opening the door, she addressed the angry blonde at the door.

"Terra, to what do we owe the pleasure." she leaned against the door, not opening it fully

"Cut the shit bitch, I know he lives here. Where is he?" she spat out.

"No need for rude behavior, I'm right here." Garfield opened the door fully and positioned himself between Rachel and Terra.

"It's positive, it's yours, come with me so we can figure this out." She commanded

"Ok, let's go talk to a doctor so I know for sure. Make an appointment and I will come with you. Until then you get nothing from me." He motioned for Rachel to head back into the room and turned back to the door, "My number is still the same, I'll unblock you, don't message me unless it's for the doctor. Or you can call me. Goodbye." he shut the door, feeling even worse than before. He hadn't intended to come off as one of those guys who ditched their girlfriend the moment she became pregnant, but she left him no choice. Her behavior at the end of their relationship was the only thing keeping him from running back to her. That and Rachel. Where Terra was demanding and manipulative, Rachel was supportive and caring. She didn't demand things of him, only requested he treat her well. She didn't keep tabs on him like Terra, only asking that he give her a heads up to what he was doing. Lastly, she didn't spy on him, didn't look through his phone and if she was at any time ever jealous, never made it known. She cared about him, and only him, not his money or anything else she could hope to gain from him. When he gave her gifts, she often told him it was unnecessary, though she was always more than grateful. Their intimacy is what truly set everything apart. Where Terra was always trying to find something new and exciting to try, even looking elsewhere when her lust could not be satisfied, Rachel was open-minded and reasonable. She was open to new things, but her passion far outshone any kind of kink Terra could throw. She was verbal and loved being close to him, calling his name and wrapping herself around him, even if for just that moment. She didn't need to be held or kissing in public, fully secure in his feelings for her, though she wouldn't balk at it either. She was an icy stoic outside, but his fiery goddess behind closed doors.

He jogged to catch up with her, before she entered the room, grabbing her from behind and shutting the door behind him. He nuzzled into her neck, no desire in his touch, only comfort and appreciation.

"Someone got clingy in the 30 seconds we were apart." she said with a chuckle.

"Rae, you're just so…" he choked the rest of his words back, sounding almost like a sob. She turned around and cupped his face in her hands, a gentle expression crossing her features.

"Don't worry, we'll sort this out. You can decide what to do when we have a better understanding of things. I'll be here to help however I can." she said, though she hid her own secret fears, choking them back for another time. "Everything is going to be fine Gar, we'll get through this." she cooed into his ear, taking his head and laying it against her chest, moving them both over to her bed. She whispered over and over, like a mantra trying to convince not only Garfield that things would be ok, but also herself. She cradled him, rocking him gently as his body shook. He wasn't necessarily scared to be a father, but not this soon, and not with Terra. He was afraid of what this would mean for him, but more importantly, what it would mean for his relationship with Raven. She said she would be there to help, but that didn't mean helping him raise another woman's child. He didn't want to think about any of it, least of all, losing the only thing holding him together in this moment.

 **Afterward: This took forever to get out! I'm so sorry to my devoted readers. My computer CPU just died on me and it took forever to decide whether I would replace or upgrade. I upgraded which meant I then spent a week playing new games on it to test it out. I'm back and per the usual rule, if this chapter is out, the next one is written and being edited. Sorry its so short, I ran out of gusto. Until we meet again.**

 **Dangerzonedandy**


	12. Changing Courses

**A/N: Hey everyone, sorry for the Delay, I've been dealing with some personal stuff, got promoted and just wasn't feeling writing this. I finally settled myself down and wrote it. I'm going to try to write for this fic at least once a week.**

 **DangerZoneDandy**

Changing Courses

"So if you look there, that's the umbilical chord, and right therrrrre is your fetus" The ultrasound tech pointed to a small peanut shaped mass on the screen with a happy smile. "Let me get a better angle, that way it looks more like a baby and less like a potato."

She moved the small probe on Terra's stomach over and readjusted her grip.

"There! Do you see it? There's the head, here's the hands, and that's the baby's feet." she pressed a few buttons on her keyboard and a small picture printed out from the machine. Adjusting her probe again, she began drawing on the screen, taking small measurements.

"I'm going to take some measurements to confirm the age and size of the fetus." she pressed a few more buttons then removed the probe from Terra and lowered her gown. "You can get dressed and wait for the doctor. She will want to discuss the imaging results with you in full detail.

Garfield heard little of what the small plump woman told him, much of it hazing out as he saw the baby on the screen. Heading back into the small exam room, he took a seat and waited for Terra to return. Clutching the small black and white glossy paper in his hands, he stared at the baby. True, it was too early to see any noticeable similarities between himself and the small fetus; he couldn't help but wonder if the baby got their ears from him.

"Keep it, she gave me my own." Terra dropped her purse onto the floor and sat on the table. "Ready to find out when you're going to be a dad?"

 _Knock knock knock_

"Ms. Markov, Mr. Logan, thank you for coming in today. We were able to get clear imaging of the fetus and estimate a rough age, though admittedly, it's a little small for its age." the doctor opened her laptop to show two side by side ultrasounds.

"On the left is a regular fetus of this age, see how the fetus looks larger in the regular image? We're lucky you caught this when you did, you may have saved your child any developmental issues." Dr. Akins shut her computer and pulled a prescription pad from her pocket.

"If we get you on some prenatal vitamins and another supplement, the baby should be fine. Do you have any questions for me?"

"How old is the baby?" Garfield's voice was too raspy for him to believe it was his own. "How likely is it that the baby is mine?"

"Well that depends. When were you two last intimate?" she ripped the prescriptions off her pad and handed them to Terra, meeting Garfield's gaze with an intensity born from countless difficult conversations with hopeful and fearful parents.

"Three and a half, maybe four months ago?" Garfield looked at Terra for confirmation, earning him a small nod.

"Then no, it's impossible. At most, this baby is about two and a half months old." Dr. Akins noticeably relaxed, though she headed toward the door quickly. "Please refrain from escalating your discussions to more than a civil one. If you can't be civil, I'd suggest you find another place to do so. Ms. Markov, schedule an appointment with me for next week, take it easy, quit your vices now, there's a pamphlet with resources if you need them."

Dr. Akins left the room and uncomfortable tension. Terra and Garfield sat in silence, the weight of the news between them hung thick in the air.

"So that's it then. It's not yours. You're free." Terra's voice shook; it wasn't his, which meant it was…

"Wilson then huh? Or someone else?" Garfield found little happiness in the news. Though he was relieved that he wouldn't have to deal with Terra anymore, he felt sympathy for her, and more for the child she carried. Wilson was not a family man; the womanizer was more into heading to the next party, getting his next fix than settling down and raising children.

"Who knows, he wasn't the only one after you. Hell, he wasn't the only one during you." Terra refused to make eye contact, choosing to only stare at the ground. "I really hoped it was you. Honestly Gar, I was really hoping this baby would have a dad it would deserve.

"Thank you, Terra, for doing this, and for considering me. I'm sorry, while I can't say I'm not relieved, I still feel for you. If you need anything for the baby, call me. I'll help with diapers or food or whatever the baby may need." he grabbed her hand and squeezed it. For the first time in all the years they'd known each other, she didn't yell. She didn't scream or cry or blame him.

"I couldn't ask that from you, but thank you. Now can you leave? I need a minute alone." she pulled her hand away and looked away.

"Sure Terra. Just remember I'm willing to help." Garfield moved to the door, sparing one last glance at the broken girl.

"Gar?"

"Hm?"

"I did love you; I just don't think I was ready for you. You're a great guy." She smiled at him, tears already spilling from her eyes.

"Me too Ter, I really would have been happy marrying you, I just couldn't keep up with you." He smiled again and headed out the door, shutting it softly as he headed out of the clinic.

"Wrong again, I couldn't keep up with you. You grew up before I realized what a great man you were." Terra whispered to herself before curling into a ball and finally letting her cries come. She wasn't alone anymore, but she felt emptier than she ever had in her life.

Garfield hated returning to an empty home. The silence of the large house and echoes from the walls too easily matched the feeling in his heart. The shock and relief carried him from the clinic, all the way to his bedroom where his body finally gave in, leaving him in a slumped pile against the door. Rachel wouldn't be home for a few hours, and his roommate's schedules were even more unpredictable. He sat there for hours it seemed, crying softly as the gravity of everything finally had time to catch up with him. He had his closure with Terra, closure he didn't know he needed. He cried in both relief and loss. The relief he understood, the idea of an unplanned child terrified him, particularly with Terra. He tried throughout the duration of their relationship to get the wild girl to slow down, hoping he would be enough. He wasn't.

What confused him was the pit of loss he felt. He and Terra ended ages ago, and he had Rachel. The finality of their conversation should not have affected him on such a way, the pain long since dulled to a bitter memory in the warmth of Rachel's embrace. The loss he felt for the baby was almost equally confusing. If he was honest, he could see himself as a father. But a baby with Terra? Not a snowballs chance in hell. So why did he hurt so much when he heard it was impossible?

 _BZZZ BZZZ BZZZ_

 _New Message from Rae 3_

 _Hey Gar. How did it go? I'm getting out a little early, we're dead here. Want anything for dinner?_

"Leave it to Rae to know I need her." He sighed to himself.

 _Reply: Hey beautiful, hurry that cute butt home so I can tell you. As far as dinner goes, you know what I like, surprise me. Love you._

 _New Message from Rae 3_

 _Well, my "cute butt" is currently planted in the car. I'll be home after I get the food. I'll see you soon._

Resolving to be in better condition before he saw his girlfriend, Garfield stood and headed toward the shower. Just a short wait and his heart would have its favorite medicine. The hot water cascaded down his shoulders, washing away hours of tension and frustration. Garfield remained oblivious to the outside world, if only for a moment and he allowed his mind to empty under the sound of water hitting tile. A knocking on the bathroom door brought him back to the present.

"Gar? You in there? You've been in there for a while now, are you ok?" Rachel called from the other side of the door, hesitation in her voice.

"Hey Rae, door's open." He called out, grabbing the shampoo and setting to finally wash himself.

"Want some help?" In the fogged glass, Garfield could make out Rachel's figure, hip cocked playfully and her arms crossed across her chest. Though he couldn't make out her face, he could see her smirk tugging on her face.

"Maybe next time, I'm almost done." He rinsed his hair and grabbed his soap and turned away from the stream to lather his chest. The sound of the shower door opening drew his attention back.

"Then how about some company? Sounds like you could use it. Besides, I'm sweaty from work and you're using all the hot water." She shut the door and rinsed in the abandoned jet of water, Garfield's hands pausing at her actions.

"Geez Rae, if you wanted to see me naked so bad, you could just say so. No need to make excuses." He chuckled playfully at her.

"I'm not the one getting cold and letting soap dry enjoying the view" she shot back, working lather into her hair.

"Touché. How was work?" He finished lathering his body and spun her around to take the water back.

"Work, you know how that goes."

"Anything interesting happen?"

"Garth burned his crotch with some heated bar b que sauce"

"Oh man! No way! I can't believe I missed that. Did he freak out?"

"Made a fuss about 'designer jeans' and me being 'liable for damages'. Other than that, he just spent the day moping. And tangy"

"Ha ha ha Rae you're so funny." He laughed heartily, swapping places with Rachel to allow her to rinse.

"A real hoot" she said sardonically before taking on a more serious tone. "How about you, how was the ultrasound?"

"Hey Rae?"

"Hm?"

"Can we eat first? I'm having fun right now."

"Sure. I'm all clean, ready to get out?"

"We could do something else." Garfield wagged his eyebrows suggestively, grabbing Rachel by her hips.

"Not a chance, the water is already getting cold. Cool your jets; we have plenty of time to do that tonight if you're feeling that frisky. Hell, we can go now if you don't mind letting your food get soggier than it is." Rachel shut off the shower and opened the door, searching for her towel and throwing one at Garfield's face.

"You know I'll warm you up." He grabbed her from behind, holder her close to his chest.

"Down Tiger, let's go eat first." she pulled away and re-dried her back. Pulling her clothes from their neat pile on the vanity, she dressed and left the bathroom with Garfield in tow

"So, what's for dinner?" he said, running his hand through his wet hair to spike it.

"Something special, just for you, Vegenomics. Lame names aside, they have great food." she grabbed the cardboard containers and placed them on the table with forks and bottled drinks.

"My favorite, you know me so well." he sat and excitedly rubbed his hands together.

"I figured you could use it given the day I'm sure you've had." she started eating her meal and glanced at Garfield.

"Thanks Rae, you're too good to me." He said, staring at the plate of his favorite dish, down to the last detail and substitution

"Stop, I only give as good as I get, well, at least I try to." she said between bites

"No, you're amazing. You do so many little things for me, like cleaning my room and doing my laundry while we were at the clinic. I know how you feel about even going in there, let alone being elbows deep in that mess. Thank you." he smirked and started eating his food

"It wasn't that big of a deal. Honestly, there were really only three piles, Laundry, trash, stuff for the shelf. Even your laundry wasn't all that bad. It's not like I haven't smelled those biohazards you call socks before." she said as she opened her drink and took a sip

"Come on, you give yourself too little credit."

"And I think you underestimate what I'm willing to do for someone I love."

"Either way, it was still amazing. Thank you."

"Still holding to the fact that there's no thanks needed, but you're welcome regardless." she sighed loudly and took another bite of her plate.

"Now I have to pay you back." He said with a sly grin.

"You already do by being you, but please don't let me stop you from whatever you're planning." She smirked back, dropping her voice to take on a more husky tone.

"Then hurry up and eat so I can pay you back properly in an empty house where you don't have to hold back." he took another bite, never breaking eye contact with Rachel, her blush growing quickly darker.

"I'm game, but are you sure you don't want to talk about the appointment today?" She noticed how his demeanor changed and he noticeably curled into himself on the chair.

"Busted, you got me, I was avoiding the subject. The short part is the baby wasn't mine, in the Doctor's words, it was impossible. The long part is how I feel about it. I'm relieved, but I'm also sad. It's all very confusing." He took another bite of his food, letting his voice trail off as he chewed.

"That's understandable, emotions were high and honestly, I know a part of you still loves Terra in your own way. Before you deny it, it's fine, it's who you are, and part of why I fell in love with you. Factor in the possibility of being a father, something you've said you always wanted, then losing it, I would be confused too. Take your time to come to terms with how you feel about it and never feel guilty for how you feel." She wiped her hands and mouth and took another sip of her drink.

"Thanks Rae, that means a lot coming from you. I was honestly worried about what you'd think if I told you I was sad about the baby not being mine. How'd you get so smart?" he pointed his fork playfully at her and chuckled before taking another bite.

"By reading books and not wasting my time watching TV and playing video games." she shot back playfully.

"Hey, keep talking like that, and I won't pay you back for all your hard work at being awesome." he warned.

"Oh dear, I'll have peace and quiet to read all evening, whatever shall I do?" she deadpanned.

"Face it, babe, you'd die if you had to go one night without this stud." Garfield puffed out his chest and flexed his arms.

"No, please, don't." she said, even more flatly.

"You love me."

"Hell if anyone knows why, but I do." she smiled warmly at him and closed her empty food box.

"Love you too, Rae." He stood with his container in hand, walking over to Rachel and leaned in for a short peck on the lips. Scooping up her container he dropped them into the trash and washed their forks. Deciding to wash all the dishes while he was at it, he filled the sink and set to scrubbing. He felt slender arms wrap him from behind and shut off the water.

"I seem to remember a certain debt someone wanted to repay? Unless you're not in the mood. I understand if you aren't, you've had a rough week."

"And miss the chance to see that sexy body completely naked again? Shut up and get your ass on that bed, and you sure as hell better be naked by the time I get there." he turned around and kissed her again, earning himself a playful giggle.

"Don't be too long, I get cold easily." She said as she walked away from him. Garfield took the chance to plant a playful slap on her rear, a surprised squeak chirping from Rachel.

"Wouldn't dream it, Rae."


End file.
